Anne, when I had my right pec minor tendon detached, I experienced similar feelings of instabilty - for 8-10 months or so. I don't do a lot with that arm, which has RSD the worst, but I am now able to lift a gallon of milk and pour it, carry a small stack of books, open a door that isn't heavy, without major discomfort or a later flare. A heavy door, or carrying much weight for too long a time WILL flare me badly.

I wonder if the difference in our healing lies in a difference in where the tendon re-attached? I truly can't imagine having both scaps detached from the pec minor attachment at the same time - but I understand you had NO choice about timing. I am fairly sure though, sister Anne, that you and I were the guinea pigs for this surgery, and it has been further refined - such as Dr Sanders taking an inch of the tendon to prevent it reattaching. There simply was NO description of this procedure when we had ours done - because no Dr was doing it. Which I still don't understand, as all the literature TALKS about the pec minor being one of the points of compression!

And, in my case, and yours, the cords were severely damaged, leading to muscle atrophy in the hand. The pec minor compression at the axilla is the cause of that TERRIBLE pain that feels as though someone's been jabbing a broomstick handle into your armpit 24/7! That disappeared thankfully immediately post-op!

There seems to me there still should be a better way to make additional room for the nerve cords and/or vein/artery, rather than taking away a muscle attachment and asking the body to adapt, especially in an already compromised area. What about inserting very small thin saline pillows near the nerves, BELOW the pec minor, just to lift the muscle a tiny bit in the needed area? We know hyperbaric oxygen has worked well for some TOSers, I believe the rich oxygen helps eliminate the on-going inflammation that causes irritation and swelling. But insurance won't cover HBOT for TOS, and it's not easily available in most parts of the country.

So for now, surgery for pec minor compression is probably the answer when PT fails - but, like with rib resection, only MORE so, I would URGE you to seek a top surgeon who has done several of them, who can anwer your questions and who has a post-op PT protocol.


beth