A60-year-old man is unable to walk more than 100 yards without experiencing severe chest pain in his left leg; the pain is relieved by resting for 5-10. he is told that the arteries of his leg are becoming occluded with fatty material and is advised to have the sympathetic nerves serving that body region severed. explain how such surgery might to relieve this man's problem

This is a case of peripheral artery disease which is described as the occlusion of the arteries of the extremities due to atherosclerosis causing ischemia and pain of the affected extremity. The pathophysiology works similarly in angina wherein there is occlusion of the coronary arteries. The resection of the sympathetic nerves (sympathectomy) innervating the affected leg will decrease the tone of the arteries leading it to vasodilate and increase the vessel diameter thus relieving the occlusion and eventually the ischemia.