yes- I WAS quoting my neurologist when stating my numbers. I believe they are also published in at least one, if not more UCLA papers.

If your surgeon has not published papers, he can give you his opinion of his success rate, but his data collection and counting methods have not been peer reviewed like they would be if published in a medical journal.

I personally have only had a rib resection, so i do not know for sure how the recovery difference is for a scalenectomy alone. I know that Dr Filler, who does a scalenectomy, said i'd be better in two weeks, and that my surgeon said i'd feel pretty good in 4 weeks.

My surgeon also told me that in 25% of his cases, a year-ish later he has to come back in with a supraclavicular approach to remove the portion of scalene muscle that gets left behind in the transaxillary rib resection. When we talked about that, he also said that thought it seems like it should be an easier surgery, generally people still feel pretty lousy afterwards, it is not terribly different.

Maybe this is also because my surgeon only does scalenecomy's as a second operation on people who have already had rib resections?

All I can share with you is what doctors have told me...but that's what they told me

My recovery from a rib resection was not really all that bad, I spent one week feeling really lousy, took about 2 weeks before i could drive, and at 4 weeks was definitely feeling as well as i had before surgery.

I am also out on long term disability with no huge hurry to get back to work, just taking my time and getting stronger so that when I do go back i know it will be the right thing and I am not causing more injury to myself.

hope some of this is helpful

Johanna