Quote:
Originally Posted by nospam
I saw Dr. Ahn today.
After a review of my history and a brief physical exam, he believes this is TOS. After just a few minutes with him I felt that he is ahead of the curve vs. the other surgeons in this area. Here is why:
- He stated that he has now done over 1000 TOS surgeries to date!
- He stated that he and Sheldon Jordan no longer use the scalene block or Doppler ultrasound for diagnostics due to false negatives (I had a negative scalene block in 2010). Instead he uses fluoroscopic balloon angioplasty to image where compression is taking place as well as decompress those areas temporarily. It made a hell of a lot of sense to me.
- He no longer holds a preferred surgical approach but plans surgery based on the angiogram. He also stated he does not always take the rib either if it is not necessary. He didn't want to talk specific details about surgical procedures until after the angiogram. I really like this vs. what I thought I knew about TOS surgery in my prior research.
My angiogram is scheduled for 4 weeks from now (hopefully, earlier if there is a cancellation). My pain is no different, but I feel better about my outlook and that has helped me feel better overall.
If you are on the fence about Dr. Ahn or are even pursuing conservative treatment options, I highly recommend you consult Dr. Ahn. I am convinced that everyone should have the fluoroscopic balloon angioplasty before going into surgery with any surgeon. Ahn's bedside manner may be relatively cold and clinical, but he sure seems to know what he is doing.
On a side note, UCLA still hasn't gotten back to me regarding the tests and follow up Gelabert ordered.  |
I am no longer convinced that Ahn's angiogram/angioplasty is for everyone. It is an invasive procedure that has risks and may be unnecessary (this is based on several other medical opinions I've received). I've learned that there is no gold-standard test for TOS, that the diagnosis is mostly clinical. My personal opinion is that Ahn's practice is a surgery mill and his patients are guinea pigs to him. I'm sure he is highly skilled, but I've lost confidence. Drs. Gelabert and Niren Angle were so much more thorough and empathetic (Ahn didn't even look at my brachial MRI films, just scheduled me for the angios). He also wasn't truthful about what Dr. Sheldon Jordan does and doesn't advocate in regards to ultrasound and angiogram/angioplasty.
I have eliminated Dr. Ahn from consideration. Drs. Gelabart, Angle, and Fujitani remain. I'm very disappointed that UCLA still hasn't scheduled me for the tests and follow-ups Gelabert ordered even though I've been reaching out to them to inquire of the status. What a slow moving machine!