Two days post-op
 

Had my surgery done this past Wednesday the 4th. First rib resection and scalenectomy. My doctor also found and removed an extra tendon and an extra muscle band that were both putting a ton of direct pressure onto my nerves.. so I definitely needed the surgery! I've been very lucky to have such an awesome doctor (Dr. Walter Whitehouse of St. Joseph Mercy Hospital - Ann Arbor, Michigan) whom l'd -highly- recommend to anyone. I'll still be in the hospital for a couple more days from the sounds of it (mostly for pain control) but will keep updating about my recovery when I can in case it's helpful to anyone.

For the record, I was diagnosed with true neurogenic thoracic outlet syndrome with some arterial components. This forum has been extremely helpful during this whole process, so thank you to everyone who has shared their stories on here. :)

I'm so glad your surgery went well, EKelly! I hope they get your pain under control soon and that you feel more comfortable. I'm three weeks out from surgery and feel great. Take it easy and best to you while you heal!

Great to hear you are doing well. I'm so thankful for the folks that take the time to come back here and update us on their status. It is very encouraging to me as I am only two weeks away from my rib resection.

Wishing you well during your recovery. Definitely take it easy and rest as much as your body needs. :)

michigan
 

I'm on the brink of surgery and in the Ann Arbor, Michigan area as well. I will looke into Dr. Whitehouse, keep me updated on here on your progess if possible!

Post-op
 

I haven't been on here in quite some time! My surgery was successful in the way that my symptoms have lessened in some ways (I still have nerve pain every day, it's just not for the most part as severe as it was.. there still are times when I overdo it though).

Dr. Whitehouse is an awesome doctor... I feel very fortunate that I ended up in his care. I would still highly recommend him.

About my surgery... it was listed in my post-op report that I had/have a severe case of TOS. There was an extra, abnormal tendon putting "a ton of direct pressure" on my nerves. I had a first rib resection and scalenectomy. The surgery needed to be done, and I'm happy I went through with it. Truly. If I hadn't, how much more damage could have been done over time? A lot, probably.

There are still a lot of struggles I'm dealing with on a day to day basis... muscle atrophy in my hand and wrist, which cause me to be clumsy to say the least. My career before this all happened was/is a hairstylist (I still like to consider myself a stylist :-P) and I have yet to be able to go back to work. I have to pick and choose what I do in a day so I don't overdo it. There's a lot of scar tissue around the incision area, but I imagine it will loosen up over time with some work.

I'm 6 months post-op and would do the surgery all over again if necessary. I recently started Lyrica and that seems to be helping a bit. Every day is a new day - some days are worse than others, but I'm trying my very best to have a positive outlook for my future.

If you ended up getting the surgery or are planning on getting it done, let me know how it went or goes!

Good luck!!

Are you doing any kind of physical therapy?
 

The scar tissue around the incision area may need some mobilizing or it might only get tighter over time and compress the nerves and vessels. Do you have a good therapist who can help you with that? What does your surgeon say about the scar tissue and muscle athrophy? I know nerves sometimes take longer to bounce back but your other issues should be getting better by now or you may need physical therapy unless you are already with a good PT?