Excision of a segment of a sympathetic nerve or of one or more sympathetic ganglia. SYN: sympathetectomy, sympathicectomy. [sympath- + G. ektome, excision]
- chemical s. destruction of the periareterial sympathetic nerves, as in Doppler operation, by a corrosive such as phenol.
- periarterial s. sympathetic denervation by arterial decortication. SYN: histonectomy, Leriche operation.
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sym·pa·thec·to·my .sim-pə-'thek-tə-mē n, pl -mies surgical interruption of sympathetic nerve pathways
sym·pa·thec·to·mized or chiefly Brit -mised -.mīzd adj
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n.
the surgical division of sympathetic nerve fibres. It is done to minimize the effects of normal or excessive sympathetic activity. Most often it is used to improve the circulation to part of the body; less commonly to inhibit excess sweating or to relieve the photophobia induced by an abnormally dilated pupil of the eye.
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sym·pa·thec·to·my (sim″pə-thekґtə-me) [sympathetic + -ectomy] the transection or other interruption of any part of the sympathetic nervous pathways. Operations may be named according to the location of the nerve, ganglion, or plexus operated on, as cervical, dorsal, lumbar, or thoracolumbar s., or in reference to the diaphragm, as subdiaphragmatic, supradiaphragmatic, or transdiaphragmatic s.Medical dictionary. 2011.