Cell body reorganization in the spinal cord after surgery to trea sweaty palms and blushing

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, June 21, 2012

left thoracic sympathectomy to prevent electrical storms in CPVT - Department of Cardiology, Sydney Children's Hospital

Catecholaminergic Polymorphic Ventricular Tachycardia (CPVT), a life threatening arrhythmia induced by sympathetic stimulation in susceptible individuals is often refractory to antiarrhythmic agents. First line of treatment, beta-blockers can be ineffective in up to 50% with implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) placement for refractory cases. Paradoxically ICD can be arryhthmogenic from shock-associated sympathetic stimulation, initiating more shocks and "electrical storms". This has led to the use of more effective beta blockade offered by left sympathectomy, now performed by minimally invasive video assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS).
To our knowledge this is first such reported case.
Heart Lung Circ. 2011 Nov;20(11):731-3. Epub 2011 Apr 7.

 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21478052


Sympathectomy for the treatment of polymorphic ventricular tachycardia

Bilateral thoracoscopic cervical sympathectomy for the treatment of recurrent polymorphic ventricular tachycardia.

Turley AJ, Thambyrajah J, Harcombe AA.
Despite potassium and magnesium supplements, beta blockade, implantation of a single then dual chamber implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD), amiodarone, nicorandil, and mexiletine, the patient continued to experience arrhythmia storms, receiving more than 700 ICD discharges over seven months. She was ultimately treated successfully with bilateral thoracoscopic cervicothoracic sympathectomies. This is the first reported bilateral thoracoscopic treatment of a patient with LQTS and symptomatic life threatening ventricular tachyarrhythmias refractory to current pharmacological and pacing techniques.
Cardiothoracic Division, The James Cook University Hospital, Marton Road, Middlesbrough TS4 3BW, UK. andrew.turley@stees.nhs.uk
Heart. 2005 Jan;91(1):15-7.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15604323

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

dynamic cerebral autoregulation is altered by ganglion blockade

We measured arterial pressure and cerebral blood flow (CBF) velocity in 12 healthy subjects (aged 29+/-6 years) before and after ganglion blockade with trimethaphan. CBF velocity was measured in the middle cerebral artery using transcranial Doppler. The magnitude of spontaneous changes in mean blood pressure and CBF velocity were quantified by spectral analysis. The transfer function gain, phase, and coherence between these variables were estimated to quantify dynamic cerebral autoregulation. After ganglion blockade, systolic and pulse pressure decreased significantly by 13% and 26%, respectively. CBF velocity decreased by 6% (P <0.05). In the very low frequency range (0.02 to 0.07 Hz), mean blood pressure variability decreased significantly (by 82%), while CBF velocity variability persisted. Thus, transfer function gain increased by 81%. In addition, the phase lead of CBF velocity to arterial pressure diminished. These changes in transfer function gain and phase persisted despite restoration of arterial pressure by infusion of phenylephrine and normalization of mean blood pressure variability by oscillatory lower body negative pressure.
Conclusions-: These data suggest that dynamic cerebral autoregulation is altered by ganglion blockade. We speculate that autonomic neural control of the cerebral circulation is tonically active and likely plays a significant role in the regulation of beat-to-beat CBF in humans.
Circulation. 106(14):1814-1820, October 1, 2002.
http://www.problemsinanes.com/pt/re/dyslipidaemia/abstract.00003017-200210010-00017.htm;jsessionid=PX6phQHYFG5PD1p2DMS1cJLvG1TbtLLLH0bfJT6vKJgLLx1zn0Xf!1816077220!181195629!8091!-1?nav=reference