Sympathectomy

Sympathectomy

Sympathectomy (pronunciation: sim-puh-THEK-tuh-mee) is a surgical procedure that involves the removal or destruction of a portion of the sympathetic nervous system.

Etymology

The term "sympathectomy" is derived from the Greek words "sympatheia" meaning "fellow feeling" and "ektome" meaning "excision".

Procedure

Sympathectomy is typically performed to reduce pain or to decrease excessive sweating. The procedure involves cutting or clamping the sympathetic chain, a bundle of nerve fibers that run along the spinal column. This interrupts the transmission of nerve signals that control various bodily functions such as sweating, blood flow, and heart rate.

Types

There are several types of sympathectomy procedures, including:

• Thoracic sympathectomy: This procedure is performed on the sympathetic nerves in the chest. It is often used to treat conditions such as hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating) and Raynaud's disease (a condition that affects blood flow to the fingers and toes).

• Lumbar sympathectomy: This procedure is performed on the sympathetic nerves in the lower back. It is often used to improve blood flow to the legs and feet in patients with severe peripheral artery disease.

• Cervical sympathectomy: This procedure is performed on the sympathetic nerves in the neck. It is often used to treat conditions such as Raynaud's disease and hyperhidrosis.

Risks and Complications

Like all surgical procedures, sympathectomy carries some risks. These may include infection, bleeding, and damage to surrounding tissues. In addition, sympathectomy can sometimes result in compensatory sweating, where the body sweats more in other areas to compensate for the loss of sweating in the treated area.

Related Terms

• Sympathetic nervous system
• Hyperhidrosis
• Raynaud's disease
• Peripheral artery disease
• Compensatory sweating

External links

• Medical encyclopedia article on Sympathectomy
• Wikipedia's article - Sympathectomy

This WikiMD article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.

---

Languages: - East Asian 中文, 日本, 한국어, South Asian हिन्दी, Urdu, বাংলা, తెలుగు, தமிழ், ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian Indonesian, Vietnamese, Thai, မြန်မာဘာသာ, European español, Deutsch, français, русский, português do Brasil, Italian, polski