STIMULATION OF LEFT STELLATE GANGLION PROLONGS Q-T INTERVAL IN PATIENTS WITH PALMAR HYPERHIDROSIS

With the advent of transthoracic video-assisted endoscopic electrocaut ery of the second and the third sympathetic ganglia for the treatment of palmar hyperhidrosis, it is possible to approach the stellate gangl ia with ease. To see whether stimulation of stellate ganglia in humans is similar to the case in dogs, we stimulated the sympathetic ganglia in 18 palmar hyperhidrosis patients with a coagulation power of 5 W a t a frequency of three times every 2 s. We found that left stellate st imulation prolongs the Q-T interval and increases the heart rate, wher eas right stellate stimulation affects the Q-T interval and heart rate insignificantly, just Like the case in dogs in which the left stellat e ganglion predominates the right one in determining the Q-T interval. Left stellate stimulation after destruction of the left second and th ird ganglia also prolongs the Q-T interval, suggesting that the left s tellate ganglion is more important in determining the Q-T interval.