sympathectomy

American  

[sim-puh-thek-tuh-mee] / ˌsɪm pəˈθɛk tə mi /

noun

Medicine/Medical.

plural

sympathectomies

1. surgery that interrupts a nerve pathway of the sympathetic or involuntary nervous system.

2. Also called chemical sympathectomy.  a like interruption by chemical means.

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sympathectomy British  

/ ˌsɪmpəˈθɛktəmɪ /

noun

1. the surgical excision or chemical destruction ( chemical sympathectomy ) of one or more parts of the sympathetic nervous system

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Etymology

Origin of sympathectomy

First recorded in 1895–1900; sympath(etic) + -ectomy

Example Sentences

For people with severe Raynaud’s, a physician may recommend a sympathectomy, a procedure performed by incision or injections that destroys the nerves that trigger narrowing of the blood vessels.

From Washington Post • Jul. 25, 2022

The Evidence: Scientists agree that malfunctioning sympathetic nerves contribute to chronic pain but sympathectomy remains controversial.

From Scientific American • Nov. 17, 2014

The operation was called a sympathectomy; it cut certain nerves leading to the organs of the chest and abdomen on the theory that this would relax the arterioles.

From Time Magazine Archive

An operation of lumbar sympathectomy was performed on the King at 10 a.m.

From Time Magazine Archive

To check hypertension in some cases of nervous origin there is a formidable two-stage operation, sympathectomy: whole series of nerve bundles beside the spine are cut.

From Time Magazine Archive