Upper dorsal sympathectomy.

Over a 20 year period, 60 patients underwent 76 procedures for upper dorsal sympathectomy, usually with a transaxillary approach but occasionally with an anterior approach. Procedures in male patients and in those that were carried out on the right side were most frequent. There were few simultaneous procedures. The extent of sympathectomy included resection of the lower half of the stellate ganglion through the fourth thoracic ganglion. The results were satisfying for patients with vasospastic disorders and hyperhidrosis and quite acceptable for those with causalgia and vaso-occlusive disorders. Complication rates and the incidence of postoperative Horner's syndrome were low. There were prominent differences in results among the various age groups. In addition, female patients and those with bilateral procedures had less favorable results. Factors that did not appear to affect results included technique of surgical approach, extent of sympathectomy, presence of Horner's syndrome, or the addition of other procedures. Current indications for upper dorsal sympathectomy include cases of Raynaud's and Buerger's diseases refractory to drug therapy, causalgia, vaso-occlusive disorders, and hyperhidrosis.