sympathectomy
Definition
- Noun:
- A surgical procedure to interrupt nerve pathways in the sympathetic nervous system: A sympathectomy is an operation where a surgeon cuts or destroys specific nerves within the sympathetic nervous system to treat certain medical conditions.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- The patient underwent a lumbar sympathectomy to alleviate severe pain in his leg.
- Endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy is a minimally invasive treatment for excessive sweating.
Advanced Usage
Chemical sympathectomy: A procedure that uses chemical agents (like phenol or alcohol) to destroy sympathetic nerves, rather than surgical cutting.
- For some patients, a chemical sympathectomy is preferred due to its lower risk profile.
Surgical sympathectomy: Specifies the traditional method involving physical interruption of the nerve, often via clipping or cauterization.
- The surgical sympathectomy successfully resolved the patient's reflex sympathetic dystrophy.
Variants and Related Words
Sympathectomies (n): The plural form of sympathectomy.
- Modern techniques have improved the outcomes of sympathectomies.
Sympathetic (adj): Relating to or denoting the part of the autonomic nervous system that the surgery affects.
- The sympathetic nervous system is responsible for the 'fight or flight' response.
Sympathetic chain/ganglion: The specific structures often targeted in this surgery.
- The surgeon targeted the second thoracic ganglion during the sympathectomy.
Synonyms
- Sympathetic denervation: A more descriptive technical synonym for the procedure.
- Ganglionectomy: Surgical removal of a ganglion, which can be a specific type of sympathectomy.
Related Medical Terms
- Indication: A sympathectomy is primarily indicated for conditions like hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating), complex regional pain syndrome, and some vascular disorders.
- Complication: A potential complication of the procedure is compensatory sweating in other body areas.
Noun
-
surgical interruption of a nerve pathway in the sympathetic nervous system
