Percutaneous phenol sympathectomy in advanced vascular disease.

Percutaneous phenol sympathectomy has been performed under fluoroscopic or CT guidance in 37 patients with extremely advanced vascular disease of the lower extremities. The technique is simple and well tolerated by the patient with a remarkably low incidence of complications. Of the 37 patients, 14 (38%) showed objective improvement and none of the patients experienced worsening of their ischemia. Results to date suggest that this procedure provides a sympathetic blockade as effectively as surgical sympathectomy in these patients with advanced disease.