home from the hospital
 

well, surgery went good. he removed the stub of the rib, which he stated it started to grow already. he spent a lot of time freeing up nerves as well. keeping this short because i am fuzzy from the meds. i do notice no pain in wrist and elbow although some tingling which i know is from inflammation from the surgery. i will keep updating when i can. they talked about another day in hospital, but i choose to come home.

We love you!

Good to hear you are already seeing improvements, keep us posted!

Rest, rest REST!! Take your pain meds ON TIME, use ice and rest some more!!

:hug:
good job!!

How are you feeling?

Did Dr. Clair perform complete scalenectomy in addition to the neurolysis?

So glad to hear! Hopefully less pain each day. Remember keep a firm pillow or rolled up towels handy for coughs and sneezes! They minimize the vibrations radiating through your chest. Hug as tightly as you can to chest- they won't take away all pain, but you'll be amazed the difference it makes.

well for whatever reason, the pain level has been up today. I do have a lot of numbness in neck, but pain in neck seems to have gone. it is better than before surgery. shoulder and chest is where i am having most pain.

marc, yes dr clair said he did scalenectomy. he also stated he did extensive neurolysis. he stated that the stub of rib started growing back, which all was removed. he was very optimistic.

well enough for now, rest needed

I know you need all your rest. But can I ask how long it took for rib to start to grow back after resection? Thanks. Sorry for the continued pain

i had 1st surgery 09/2011

Wow, this is definitely something you shouldn't have to go though twice. :(. Do you know common rib re-growth is?

I don't know numbers but rib regrowth is a risk for recurrence when the rib is not completely removed the first go-round. I've read claims in which the entire rib cannot be removed transaxillary but the UCLA trained docs (as well as some others) seem to be able to do it in most cases. Sometimes they are simply unable to get the whole rib from spine to sternum in some patients.

For transaxillary rib resections, Dr. Gelabert gave me an info sheet which stated 10-20% of cases need an additional surgery (supraclavicular) in which full scalenectomy, scarring, and any rib regrowth is addressed.

Hi! I agree with nospam that it is likely rare. I remember asking my surgeon this very question before I had my 1st TOS surgery 9 years ago. I seem to remember that he said something along the lines about removing most of the rib so there was no chance of re-growth. So far, there is no evidence of re-growth on that rib. Hope this holds true for the other side as surgery is scheduled in a few days.

i was told that it is not common but does happen. Anyway, I am just hoping to see improvements. The shoulder and clavicle and chest area is still painful and numb, along with some tingling in neck, I am sure it is from the inflammation from the surgery. I have noticed less tingling in hand and less pain in wrist forearm and hand. It is real early to tell, plus the fact that I have been on pain meds. Still real tired and slept most of day. I have noticed less pain in my neck as well.