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Radical Microarteriolysis in the Treatment of Vasospastic Disorders of the Hand, Especially SclerodermaFrom the Microsurgery Research Centre, St Vincents Hospital, Fitzroy, Australia Correspondence: B. McC. OBrien, Microsurgery Research Centre, St Vincents Hospital, Victoria Parade, Fitzroy 3065 Victoria, Australia. Arterial spasm due to exaggerated sympathetic response is an important mechanism for Raynauds phenomenon in scleroderma associated often with periadventitial scarring. The results of cervical sympathectomy have been unsatisfactory in the upper limb because of additional sympathetic pathways. Flatt therefore devised a distal sympathectomy by stripping the vessels of their adventitia over a short length of artery. The results of this operation were found by Wilgis in a large series to be poor in patients with scleroderma. A radical distal microarteriolysis including adventitia and surrounding scar is described and the results in 13 patients, 11 with scleroderma, are reported. Minimum follow-up is one year. All patients had relief from pain at rest and healing of painful ulceration. Mild recurrence of small ulcers was seen in only four patients.
Journal of Hand Surgery (British and European Volume), Vol. 17, No. 4,
447-452 (1992) |
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