The amount of compensatory sweating depends on the patient, the damage that the white rami communicans incurs, and the amount of cell body reorganization in the spinal cord after surgery.
Other potential complications include inadequate resection of the ganglia, gustatory sweating, pneumothorax, cardiac dysfunction, post-operative pain, and finally Horner’s syndrome secondary to resection of the stellate ganglion.
www.ubcmj.com/pdf/ubcmj_2_1_2010_24-29.pdf

After severing the cervical sympathetic trunk, the cells of the cervical sympathetic ganglion undergo transneuronic degeneration
After severing the sympathetic trunk, the cells of its origin undergo complete disintegration within a year.

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1439-0442.1967.tb00255.x/abstract

Spinal cord infarction occurring during thoraco-lumbar sympathectomy
J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 1963;26:418-421 doi:10.1136/jnnp.26.5.418

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

lumbar sympathectomy results in loss of ejaculation

Sympathectomy for the long term management of such patients has been carried out (Abel et al., 1974) and success reported. Loss of ejaculation does follow sympathectomy but his is a minor problem in patients who have an already destroyed sacral cord. (p. 410)

During fever pyrogen is released from leucocytes and his agent causes the disturbed thermoregulation (Atkinson, 1960). For his response to occur, an intact efferent sympathetic system is requred because fever can be markedly reduced by bilateral sympathectomy in he cat (Pinkston, 1935). (p.193)
The autonomic nervous system: an introduction to basic and clinical concepts By Otto Appenzeller, Emilio Oribe, Elsevier Health Sciences, 1997 - Medical

Monday, August 8, 2011

a significant impairment of the heart rate to workload relationship was consistently observed following sympathectomy

The HRV analysis showed a significant change of indices reflecting sympatho-vagal balance indicating significantly reduced sympathetic (LF) and increased vagal (HF, rMSSD) tone. These changes still persisted after 2 years. Global HRV increased over time with significant elevation of SDANN after 2 years. QT dispersion was significantly reduced 1 month after surgery and the dispersion was further diminished 2 years later.
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0167527399001011

Sunday, August 7, 2011

Surgical and chemical sympathectomy can alter cellular proliferation

Surgical denervation and chemical sympathectomy can alter cellular proliferation, B- and T-cell responsiveness and lymphocyte migration in lymphoid organs [17]. In vitro studies have shown that neuropeptides can have numerous effects, either inhibiting or stimulating the proliferation, differentiation
and functions of immune cells [19]*
Development of systemic lupus erythematosus in mice is associated with alteration of neuropeptide concentrations in inflamed kidneys and immunoregulatory organs
Neuroscience Letters 248 (1998) 97– 100