Thoracoscopic sympathectomy: a case report.
Thoracoscopic sympathectomy was first described in 1951 but was not popularized until this decade.
With the advent of videoendoscopic techniques and advances in minimally invasive surgery, thoracoscopic
sympathectomy has been shown to be a safe and effective therapy in the treatment of various
autonomically mediated disorders. Furthermore, numerous investigators have reported high rates of technical
success and patient satisfacrion. These minimally invasive techniques used to resect the sympathetic
ganglia significantly reduces the morbidity and mortality often associated with conventional open procedures.
In addition, endoscopic techniques provide a magnified view of the surgical field and allow for precise
identification of the sympathetic chain and points of resection.
Section of Vascular Surgery, University of California, Los Angeles Center for the Health Sciences, Los Angeles, Calif.
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