I was recently diagnosed with TOS. I had been having problems for years, but it took the doctors a while to figure it out. I went to physical therapy for a while with no results. A vascular surgeon that I have been going to told me yesterday that I have cervical (extra) ribs on each side, and I have to have them, as well as some muscle, removed. He said the surgeries for each side will be a month apart. I am getting a second opinion from a thoracic surgeon next week. I have been doing a lot of research since I found this out yesterday, and I have a lot of questions. It sounds like the surgery is a lot to go through, and since my TOS is not work related, I can't stop working and get worker's comp. One of my biggest questions is, how long can I expect to be out of work? I am an accountant, and I do a lot of typing. The Dr said that I would spend 3-5 days in the hospital for each surgery and that I should be on light duty (no lifting) for a couple of weeks after each surgery, but from what I have read, it sounds like I should expect to be out of work for a while.

From what I have read, I think I have vascular TOS because my major problem is numbness & tingling in my arms and hands. I wouldn't really call it pain, it's more like discomfort. It worsens at night, and I can not sleep without taking Ambien. I do have pain in my hands when I flex them (the scratching position), and my neck and shoulders are always tight. I don't have a good range of motion in my neck. When I was going to PT, they spent a lot of time massaging and working out knots in my neck. That was painful.

I would love to get rid of the problems and stop taking sleep meds, but I am wondering if it is worth it to get the surgery. I am a little scared from reading all the postings of the extreme pain and long recovery times.

Any advice would be helpful...:

Brandi