The Hemodynamic Effects of Sympathectomy in Essential Hypertension

Excerpt Surgical sympathectomy has been employed so extensively for the treatment of essential hypertension that one might assume its hemodynamic effects to be completely understood. Quite to the contrary, however, very little is known concerning its direct vascular or indirect metabolic effects that will explain its success in some cases and its failure in others. Until these matters are fully understood the rationale for surgical treatment, and indeed for medical management, of essential hypertension must remain on an empirical basis. For this reason these problems have been and will continue to be the subject of long-term investigation in this laboratory. MATERIALS