"Sympathectomy" Pronounce,Meaning And Examples

"Sympathectomy" Meaning

A sympathectomy is a surgical procedure that involves cutting or destroying the sympathetic nerves in the body, typically to relieve excessive sweating, facial blushing, or other conditions caused by abnormal sympathetic nerve function.

The sympathetic nervous system is a network of nerves that controls involuntary functions, such as heart rate, blood pressure, and sweating. A sympathectomy can be performed to alleviate conditions such as:

Hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating)
Faciolingual dystonia (involuntary facial spasms)
Raynaud's disease (poor circulation in the hands and feet)
Horner's syndrome (loss of facial sweat and pupil constriction on one side of the face)

There are two main types of sympathectomy procedures:

1. Endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy (ETS): This is a minimally invasive procedure that involves using a small camera and specialized tools to destroy the sympathetic nerves through a small incision in the armpit.
2. Open thoracic sympathectomy: This is a more invasive procedure that involves making an incision in the chest wall to access the sympathetic nerves.

A sympathectomy can be performed under general anesthesia or local anesthesia, and the recovery time varies depending on the type of procedure.

"Sympathectomy" Examples

Sympathectomy Usage Examples

1. Medical Procedure

A sympathectomy is a surgical procedure where surgeons remove part of the sympathetic nervous system's nerve fibres, which are responsible for sweating, particularly in the palms or face.

2. Clinical Treatment

The aim of the sympathectomy was to alleviate the patient's excessive sweating, which was causing her social distress due to episodes of excessive sweating during public speaking engagements.

3. Medical Definition

Sympathectomy refers to the interruption or removal of part of the sympathetic autonomic nervous system, often performed to treat excessive sweating (hyperhidrosis), sweating palm, palmar hyperhidrosis.

4. Case Study - Effective Relief

After undergoing a sympathectomy, the patient experienced significant relief from excessive sweating in her hands, which had been bothering her since adolescence.

5. Surgical Risks

Sympathectomy comes with the risks of sweating returning in other areas of the body than where the surgery was performed and infertility in some cases if bilateral or in very young women.