title: Thoracic sympathectomy for peripheral vascular disease can lead to severe bronchospasm and excessive bronchial secretions.
abstract: A 57-year-old male patient suffering from Buerger's disease presented with pre-gangrenous changes in right foot and ischemic symptoms in right hand. Computed tomographic angiography revealed diffuse distal disease not suitable for vascular bypass and angioplasty. Right lumbar sympathectomy was done using a retroperitoneal approach followed 1 year later by right thoracic sympathectomy using a transaxillary approach. Postoperatively, the patient had severe bronchospasm and excessive secretions in the respiratory tract resistant to theophylline and sympathomimetic group of drugs and without any clinical, laboratory and radiological evidence of infection. The patient was started on anticholinergics in anticipation that sympathectomy might have lead to unopposed cholinergic activity and the symptoms improved rapidly. The patient recovered well and was discharged on 10(th) post-operative day.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery, Dr. Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College, Kangra at Tanda, Himachal Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: Vikas Deep
authors.initials: VD
authors.lastname: Goyal
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesia, Dr. Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College, Kangra at Tanda, Himachal Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: Bharti
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.affiliation: Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Dr. Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College, Kangra at Tanda, Himachal Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: Sanjeev
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Dr. Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College, Kangra at Tanda, Himachal Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: Sanjay
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pal
keywords: Anticholinergics; bronchospasm; thoracic sympathectomy