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
Effect of clips removal
Seven patients have undergone clips removal soon after Symphatic block (compensatory sweating 4 patients, tiredness 1 patient, insomnia 1 patient, pain in thoracal region 1 patient).
Clips have been removed during 1 to 5 months (1 month 3 patients, 2 months 3 patients, 5 months 1 patient). After average follow-up of 5,2 years (1,5-9 years) 6 patients (85,7%) do not have any side effects after the clips removal, while one patients (14,3%) has minor side effects (Gustatory sweating). This patient, however wants new ESB because his opinion is that blushing is much more disturbing than compensatory sweating, which he had before clips removal.
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.