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Medical Author:

Shabir Bhimji, MD

Medical Editor:

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

Dr. Shiel received a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from the University of Notre Dame. There he was involved in research in radiation biology and received the Huisking Scholarship. After graduating from St. Louis University School of Medicine, he completed his Internal Medicine residency and Rheumatology fellowship at the University of California, Irvine. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology.

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Surgery is rarely offered as a cure for Raynaud's phenomenon. When symptoms cannot be managed and medications are inadequate or have too many side effects, surgical sympathectomy may be offered. This is a rare procedure and is almost never done, since the sympathetic discharge is already at its maximum. Surgical sympathectomy was done in the past with almost no benefit. If the tip of the toe or finger tip is necrotic or gangrenous, amputation may be required, but this is not common.

More commonly, a simple digital sympathectomy can be performed by interrupting the nerves of the palm of the hand to restore circulation to the fingers.

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