Side effects of ESB

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:

  1. Horner risk in primary surgery 0.1% (1/1000 surgeries)
  2. 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.