Hi all,
I've been recently diagnosed with effort thrombosis in my right non-dominant arm. I'm 22 years old with no previous medical history and I try to stay physically active. I don't lift weights or do any extremely repetitive motions on a regular basis such as golf or baseball pitching. Apparently this syndrome is more common in young athletic men, so I fit the category nicely. I've been scouring the web trying to find advice and answers on which medical route to pursue. The two camps of thought include thrombolysis of the clot which involves breaking down the clot, followed by decompression and removal of the first rib section. However, the alternative is the more conservative route in which only prescribes using anticoagulants and arm compression sleeves for a limited time and simply living with the condition and having a slightly larger arm while other veins form.

I'm currently experiencing no pain in my right arm under light to normal use, however, when working out and/or doing high engagement tasks, my arm swells up and turns slightly red. It has a feeling that closely resembles a slight ache(I often refer to the feeling as the slight soreness you may encounter the day after a medium intensity gym workout). I have no tingling or numbness of the arm and the ache is only temporary post workout. I understand there are inherent risks with all surgeries, especially ones dealing with thrombolysis being so close to the brain(brain damage) and partial rib removal(potential nerve damage). I'm attempting to reach out to anyone that knows of someone with the condition and whether he or she decided to live with the condition or had previously undergone the surgery and if there are any related chronic symptoms.

Thanks!

Kyle

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