Hi again. Can people who have had the first rib surgery done tell me what to expect and the recover time?

Thanks

It took me about 2 months to recover from the surgery -- it was VERY difficult. I have only gotten worse since surgery and have never gone back to work. Think very carefully about surgery. Knowing what I know now, I would only do it if I were completely at my wit's end. I thought I was as bad as you could get before surgery; I was very wrong.

Good luck,
Kelly

Thanks for the response. I am in constant pain now and have had many surgeries for other things, but this is without a doubt the hardest decision I've ever had to make. Going for a 2nd and 3rd opinion but there are so many bad vs. good outcomes, it's really scary. I still work full time but it's getting very hard. I have so much pain in my elbows, arms and hands that it's now affecting my sleep. I may see if an elbow tendon release would work vs surgery for TOS. I won't be able to continue to work much longer soon and I love my job.

Thanks again.

A very knowledgeable DR, PT or Chiropractor should be able to narrow it down to find out if the elbow issue is stemming from the elbow only or coming from higher up .
Advanced PTs &/or expert Chiro's of course.

I am six days out from first rib resection with removal of a fibrous band and part of anterior scalene. Everyone is going to be different with respect to surgical outcomes. Your overall level of health is an important factor.

My surgeon told me 10% have improvement but a winged scapular, 10% have improvement with numbness over scapular, 10% don't have any improvement, and 70% turn out great. I am planning on "great". I do have some numbness around the incision but expect it to eventually resolve.

The issue of your elbow is valid. Last year we did a cubital and carpel tunnel release, because that's a cheap and easy surgery and may be all you need. For me, I had a tight fibrous band on the ulnar never at my elbow. That surgery only improved me a little though. So, I ended up doing TOS.

I plan to get back to work (office) 19 days after surgery.

Can I ask who performed your surgery?

Keeping my fingers crossed you fall into the 70% figure quoted to you. It's a quick return to work, so be careful and give your body time to heal.

I dont want to be the bad guy here but I have to tell you to do your homework. Neurological TOS is not fun, there is no cure. Only lifestyle changes.

Surgeons are exactly that, surgeons. They get paid for surgery. All the years we have been in this (12 yrs now) I have met only maybe a handful of people who have been a success story. And thats out of 10's of thousands.

Rib resection is not a cure. Patients are still on the same track of meds and physical therapy. I realize, I know how bad the pain is...been there done that. My surgeon was conservative and promised I would be back at work in 6 weeks. The post op pain is horrendous, the recovery is tough but you do get relief for a brief time until the pain, stiffness, lack of fine motor skills,circulation, mobility and range of motion comes back. CRPS sets in due to the firing of chronic pain neurons in the brain.

All the high end and TOS surgery surgeons we know & talk about cannot tell you what percentage of a pain free life style you will have or if and when you will be able to work again. Then its back to the drawing board for more surgery(s). On and on...

Everyone has to do what they have to do, i cant say i wouldnt go thru it again even with promises as discovery is found. 2 years ago I saw Dr. Gelebert, my chances of "less pain" were only 20% with rib resection and thats not with the risks of severing a nerve and surgery risks and the CRPS skyrocketing. Now if you have arterial TOS thats a horse of a different color along with Padgettes Schroeder, a blood clot.

I sooo totally agree with you that rib resection is not a cure for TOS, with or without a sympathectomy or scalene release. My angina and very very high blood pressure due to the pain prior to surgery made it necessary, plus the fact I suffer from arterial, neurogenic and venous TOS.

Hi Anne,

My Dr. was Jon Schellack, In Baton Rouge LA. I am now feeling so good, no pain med 9 days out. I think I'll go back to work next week. Good luck to you.

Hi All, well I had my surgery in August of 2010. I had the works for neuro TOS, and i must say it has been the worst surgery I have every gone through and I have had alot of other surgeries. I am on my 3rd round of 20 visits physical therapy. I still tire easily, and can not use my are to the fullest. I lay on a heating pad 24/7. I am still on my muscle relaxers and pain meds. They say I am doing good, but when does it seem that way to me. I hope anyone thinking of this surgery considers it as the last resort. I had undergone a spinal disc ectomy and fusion less than a year prior to the TOS surgery that was thought to be the orginial problem it was that neuro that referred me to the TOS specialist. I dont know if it was worth it yet or not, they are telling me at least a year or more recovery. Okay enough of me, i just hope this helps someone else get all the opinions you need before deciding on this surgery.