I am 3 weeks post op from a first rib resection. My surgeon was Raphael Bueno at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. He was excellent and everyone in the hospital was great. I had three opinions at 3 Boston Hospitals, but after reading the risks of surgery I decided I would be better off with a thoracic surgeon as opposed to an orthopedist or a vascular surgeon (just my personal opinion). I made the right choice because one of the risks of surgery is pneumothorax (collapsed lung) and I developed one. It happens in about 30% of first rib resections. Dr. Bueno told me he leaves a chest tube in all of his patients while they are under anesthesia and that way if they develop a pneumothorax the tube is there and ready to use to reinflate the lung. If it is not needed it gets pulled the next day. However, most orthopedists and vascular surgeons are not trained in chest tube placements. If you develop a pneumothorax after the surgery, as many do, most physicians will put them in with some sedation, but not anesthesia. As a trauma nurse in Boston of 9 years, I can tell you first hand I have heard the screams of many patients through the years who have had chest tubes put in without anesthesia. It is almost a barbaric procedure. So mark my word, you want a surgeon who knows how to do this while you are anesthetized. My husband's friend had a first rib resection ten years ago for TOS and developed a pneumothorax the next day. He said having the chest tube put in while he was awake was far worse than the actual surgery. Whoever you go to, do your research. It is not exactly a small procedure. You want to make sure you go to a skilled surgeon. Best of luck and if you have any questions please do not hesitate to ask.