Severe Hypertension-Study of One Hundred Patients With Cardiovascular Complications

• The course of 50 hypertensive patients who had cardiovascular complications but underwent an operation for sympathectomy was compared with that of 50 similar patients who did not undergo the operation. The two groups were matched as to distribution of age and sex and were selected from patients coming for treatment between 1941 and 1946, so that all were followed for at least 10 years. By all the criteria of comparison, the sympathectomized group had a great advantage over those treated by the routine medical measures in use 10 years ago. The operation also spares the patient the prolonged medication, the dietary restriction, and the hazards of continued hypertension involved in nonsurgical treatment.