I have A/TOS and N/TOS and I do not have cervical ribs either. I am bilateral as well and my left side was worse than my right. I had the surgery on the side only 2 years ago. It helped with all the vascular problems but still have some nerve issues. The right side has maintained status quo and I continue with daily stretching and therapy at home. My surgeon wants me to continue at home therapy and will check me again in March. I have reduced the pain level in it and will get occasional flare up, but it took me awhile to modify my lifestyle and learn what not to do.
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Originally Posted by curby
Hi all.
My teenaged son was just diagnosed with bilateral arterial TOS.
We are told he is simply "unlucky" to have this, when we ask why/what caused it. He had no trauma such as car accident, and he does not have a cervical rib per a chest x-ray. The diagnosis a A/TOS was made by Doppler ultrasound finding positional complete compression of the subclavian artery and subsequent venogram.
The vascular surgeon says he needs decompression surgery that includes removing the first rib, right side first as that is his more symptomatic side.
From I what am reading, the vast majority of A/TOS patients have a cervical rib causing the A/TOS. According to chest x-ray, my son does not have any cervical ribs. It just seems logical to me that the precise cause should be identifiable before surgery is attempted, so that surgery will actually fix the problem, or am I incorrect? Is "too crowded" sometimes the only cause? Are there other tests I should ask for?
Thanks.
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