Richard,

I am so sorry this happened to you and I hope by now you have found an excellent malpractice attorney, because your surgeon and his team are legally liable for the damage done to you during your first rib resection (in my view at least).

The competent thing to do, once he realized the state of things would have been to get out of there as quickly as possible and close you up forthwith. Not to try and perform neurolysis by braille; good God, man!

Was this your Mr. Rix? What was the issue with visibility anyway, do you know? Poor lighting? Did they not have use of the proper equipment (I forget what it's called, at the moment) to pry and hold you open for the duration, precisely so the surgeon could see what he was doing, where everything was located and perhaps most importantly, be able to move aside and/or avoid certain delicate structures (phrenic nerve, LTN, BP) as warranted during the operation?

If I were you (and if you haven't done so already), I would contact the records department at the hospital where you had your surgery done and request copies of the surgical report, office exam and any other notes or records they may have. Do the same with your doctor's office, maybe, just to make sure you have everything. Then, no more contact with your surgeon… find the best attorney with experience in this area to advocate for you. You will need continuing care, of course, as your health is the most important thing. A lawyer with medical background should be able to refer you to some new specialists as well. (At least, that seems to be how it works in the States… )

Of course, I'm not familiar with UK law but over here you would have a strong case for medical malpractice, and possibly also a product liability case if there was equipment failure involved in the harm this has caused you. You could be entitled to a lot of money damages due to the severity of your injuries. My hope would be that that could help turn your prognosis around, in time.

I remember how excited you were when you finally got your TOS diagnosis, Richard. It's a real shame that you were butchered like this. Sorry to use such harsh language, but this just makes me angry. Doctors have such huge egos sometimes, and cannot or will not admit it when they're in over their heads!

Really reinforces the importance, for all of us, of seeking out the best and most experienced TOS surgeons we can possibly find if push comes to shove and we do find that our pain or other symptoms have become unmanageable, and that we need TOS surgery in the hope of reclaiming some quality of life.

Please stay close and let us know how you're doing.

Alison