For recurrent ulceration of the finger or ischaemia a digital sympathectomy may be the answer. This is an operation where the outer coating of the arteries and the adjacent sympathetic nerves are removed to improve blood flow. Initially, scarring may be painful for several weeks but this will eventually settle down, it is important to massage the scar and exercise the fingers.
There is also a procedure for Raynaud's Phenomenon of the feet called a lumbar sympathectomy, which often produces lasting benefits. This is a relatively simple procedure where the sympathetic nerves at the base of the spine are destroyed by an injection of a special chemical. Both procedures can be performed as a day case and have low rates of complications, however, they do not always work and the initial benefits might not be permanent.
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