Side effects of Sympathetic Block (ESB)
Functional changes of the heart:
- Resting pulse is lowering 10-20% and it stays a little lower level than before ESB
- Tendency for palpitations is lowering
- Maximal pulse is lowering and therefore some tiredness can be found during first months
- Heart`s beating volume increases and this is the reason for lowering of the pulse
- Blood pressure is lowering 10-20%
- Arythmia and tendency for atrial fibrillation diminishes
- Circulation of coronary arteries increases and therefore the risk for heart infarct and sudden death related to heart diseases diminishes
Other side effects:
- The hands and the face may get drier
- Greasy of hair diminishes
- Compensatory sweating increases in 20-30% of the patients and is mostly well bearable. If compensatory sweating is too severe, clips should be removed during 1-2 months
When ESB is done against facial sweating, hands sweating or axillary sweating it is important to do block to the lower level:
- ESB3 against Facial sweating
- ESB4 against hands sweating or axillary sweating
Risks of the operation:
- Horner risk in primary surgery 0.1% (1/1000 surgeries)
- The risk for pneumothorax is minimal in the primary operation, but the risk increases a little (<1%) if the secondary operation (Clips removal, Clips hardning, Reveresal) is done.