Tuesday 30 December 2014

direct injury to the anatomic structure of the autonomic nervous system in the thoracic cavity, and postthoracotomy pain may contribute independently or in association with each other to the development of these arrhythmias

2013;2013:413985. doi: 10.1155/2013/413985. Epub 2013 Oct 23.

Supraventricular arrhythmias after thoracotomy: is there a role for autonomic imbalance?

Vretzakis G1, Simeoforidou M, Stamoulis K, Bareka M.

Author information

Abstract

Supraventricular arrhythmias are common rhythm disturbances following pulmonary surgery. The overall incidence varies between 3.2% and 30% in the literature, while atrial fibrillation is the most common form. These arrhythmias usually have an uneventful clinical course and revert to normal sinus rhythm, usually before patent's discharge from hospital. Their importance lies in the immediate hemodynamic consequences, the potential for systemic embolization and the consequent long-term need for prophylactic drug administration, and the increased cost of hospitalization. Their incidence is probably related to the magnitude of the performed operative procedure, occurring more frequently after pneumonectomy than after lobectomy. Investigators believe that surgical factors (irritation of the atria per se or on the ground of chronic inflammation of aged atria), direct injury to the anatomic structure of the autonomic nervous system in the thoracic cavity, and postthoracotomy pain may contribute independently or in association with each other to the development of these arrhythmias. This review discusses currently available information about the potential mechanisms and risk factors for these rhythm disturbances. The discussion is in particular focused on the role of postoperative pain and its relation to the autonomic imbalance, in an attempt to avoid or minimize discomfort with proper analgesia utilisation.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24235971

No comments:

the amount of cell body reorganization in the spinal cord after sympathectomy

"our advice to patients must reflect the true potential outcomes"

Dear Editor,

I refer to the article on palmar hyperhidrosis by Dr Sanjay Sharma (Managing palmar hyperhidrosis, March). I feel that the adverse effects [of thoracoscopic sympathectomy] are understated by my colleague. For example, compensatory hyperhidrosis is common, and can be disabling, leading to regret about the procedure in some patients (up to 51% in one review). Reversal of the procedure is difficult and requires sural nerve transplant if the sympathetic chain is removed.

The procedure can be effective and worthwhile, but our advice to patients must reflect the true potential outcomes.

Dr Ian Gilfillan, Cardiothoracic Surgeon

http://www.medicalhub.com.au/wa-news/letters/3217-palmar-hyperhidrosis-revisited

Sympathectomy, ganglionopathies and myelopathies produce such pattern

Segmental Anhidrosis

This pattern occurs when a large, contiguous body area of sweat loss with sharply demarcated borders conforming to sympathetic or somatic dermatomes are present.

Sympathectomy, ganglionopathies and myelopathies produces such pattern. When borders are not well defined and anhidrosis not contiguous, a regional pattern is said to exist. Both postganglionic and preganglionic lesions may produce these distributions. (p.557)

Primer on the Autonomic Nervous System

edited by David Robertson, Italo Biaggioni, Geoffrey Burnstock, Phillip A. Low, Julian F.R. Paton

ETS "highlighted the disparity between what is known in practice and what appears in the literature"

The March 2004 edition was quite outstanding, with an excellent editorial reminding the reader that only good results are published. The review on thoracoscopic sympathectomy highlighted the disparity between what is known in practice and what appears in the literature.

‘Know Your Results’, the topic of the ASGBI Annual Scientific Meeting, is of outstanding importance; what is more, the surgeon has to go on knowing his/her results to ensure standards of practice do not slip.

The Journal appreciates comments and criticism and the correspondence column remains a crucial part of the BJS in its interaction between editors and reader. It is also part of the scientific process.

A more robust and incisive criticism of articles known to be flawed would prevent the retractions that have recently been published in the Lancet.

Christopher Russell, Chairman, BJS Society

Association of Surgeons of Great Britain and Ireland, ANNUAL REPORT 2004

Sympathectomy results in a significant interference in regulatory processes of the body

"ESB (whether as ETS as ETSC or ELS) generally represents a substantial interference in regulatory processes of the body. Therefore decision for this operation requires that previously conservative treatments were made. An ESB is therefore at the end of a treatment history, and never at the beginning."

Dr. Christoph H. Schick, ETS surgeon, President of the International Society of Sympathetic Surgery (ISSS)

text has been translated by google from German

http://www.dhhz.de/index.php?page=8&subPage=&section=32

our ignorance of the 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

Endoscopic sympathectomy is not minimally invasive

The term ‘‘minimally invasive surgery’’ was initially applied to coelioscopic procedures such as laparoscopic cholecystectomy and hernia repair, thoracoscopic sympathectomy, and arthroscopy, but has since been abandoned, because doing the same operation through a smaller incision is not necessarily less invasive. The term ‘‘minimally invasive parathyroidectomy’’ does not fully convey the nature of the techniques, and, as previously debated in the wider ﬁeld of minimal-access surgery, carries connotations of increased safety that are not necessarily supported by the existing data [12].

Surg Clin N Am 84 (2004) 717–734

F. Fausto Palazzo, MS, FRCS(Gen),
Leigh W. Delbridge, MD, FACS*

Department of Surgery, Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney 2065, NSW, Australia

Sympathectomy = nerve injury

For a full story on sympathectomy and consequences, look up nerve injury or denervation