BACKGROUND: Sympathectomy can still be performed in the treatment of many diseases, such as chronic atherosclerotic peripheral arterial disease stage IV without conditions of revascularization, hypertensive ulcer and necrosis associated with Raynaud phenomenon. The classical treatment is performed through retroperitoneal access, but can also be performed through minimally invasive techniques. OBJECTIVE: This study aims at evaluating results of retroperitoneal endoscopic lumbar sympathectomy. METHODS: Thirty-one patients were submitted to retroperitoneal endoscopic lumbar sympathectomy (22 males and nine females), mean age of 48 years (41-70). Twenty patients had chronic peripheral arterial disease, with no possibility of revascularization, all presenting with necrosis or ulcer; seven patients had thromboangiitis obliterans, three had hypertensive ulcer, and one patient had secondary Raynaud phenomenon. Surgical procedures were performed by retroperitoneal endoscopic access, besides excision of ganglia L2-L4 of the lumbar sympathetic chain. RESULTS: There were no intraoperative complications, only the need of converting to open surgery due to technical difficulties. Mean operative time was 103 minutes and mean hospital stay was 2 days. CONCLUSION: Sympathectomy can be performed by retroperitoneal endoscopy using the advantages of a minimally invasive surgery.
Lumbar sympathectomy; retroperitoneal endoscopy
