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

Thursday, October 18, 2012

These observations further emphasize our ignorance of the mechanisms responsible for primary hyperhidrosis and of the effect of sympathetic ablation


"These observations further emphasize our ignorance of the mechanisms responsible for primary hyperhidrosis and of the effect of sympathetic ablation on the function of the remaining sympathetic system."  

"Only investigators who deviate from accepted standards innovate and thus advance science. Obviously, such deviations may also result in disasters;"  
Statement made by the former President of the International Society of Sympathetic Surgery,  and ETS surgeon, Moshe Hashmonai (Invited Commentary)   
Endoscopic Lumbar Sympathectomy Following Thoracic Sympathectomy in Patients with Palmoplantar Hyperhidrosis    

World J Surg (2011) 35:54–55 DOI 10.1007/s00268-010-0809-5