Place of Sympathectomy in the Treatment of Occlusive Arterial Disease

An Objective Study of Lumbar Sympathectomy--II. Skin Ischaemia

“…Alternatively, the increased flow in these patients might have resulted from the opening of arteriovenous pathways, shunting flow away from nutritive channels (Freeman et al, 1947): sympathectomy causes a marked increase in venous oxygen saturation (de Takats, 1958), but in the normal subject sympathetic block results in a decrease of the oxygen tension in the skin (Davis and Greene, 1959), suggesting preferential opening of arteriovenous pathways resulting in stagnation of capillary flow. It is not known whether this decrease in skin oxygen tension also occurs in the presence of arterial disease.…”

A Critical Appraisal of Lumbar Sympathectomy in the Treatment of Organic Arteriopathy

“…Indeed, after sympathectomy a marked increase in venous oxygen saturation is noted [4]. This transient shunting of blood from skin to muscle is more prone to occur during exercise, and in patients with arterial insufficiency also for some time after cessation of exercise.…”