[Thoracoscopic sympathicotomy].

Abstract

Surgical endoscopic endothoracic denervation (severing the n. vagus and the sympathetic trunk with the nn. splanchnici) was developed by Kux at Innsbruck University Surgical Clinic in the 1950's and applied in thousands of patients with a very wide range of indications. The thoracoscopic sympathicotomy has remained, in the hands of the experienced surgeon, a minor intervention with low complication rate and no mortality. For functional and organic angiopathies as well as for hyperhidrosis of the upper extremities it provides very good early and satisfactory late results.