[tossucks]

[SIZE="3"] As some of you on the fourm know I have been tossing around the idea of surgery for some time now. Having been at this for some time now, with worsening symptoms I think I have come to the point of deciding to go ahead with surgery within the next year. (Due to financial reasons I would have to wait and prepare myself.) Here is the thing...The surgeon which would be preforming it is very skilled and had done many of them.....not that I still would not be nervous, I know the stats. lol.
Here is the question I have. As I am bilateral He is suggesting that both sides be done, 3 days apart. As long as there are no complications from the first one. Is this common? I havent seen anyone ever mention having it done this way before...from what I have read they are usually a year or so apart.
He is quite comfortable with this methood, and done it many times before this way...
Has anyone else here had both sides done at the same time?
Cheers,
Jay

[pixified]

If you don't mind my asking, who is your surgeon?

I have bilateral TOS as well, and from what I've been told by a few surgeons it is not recommended to get the surgeries done so close together because of the danger of something happening to the phrenic nerve. You can breathe okay if one is damaged/irritated, but can't breathe if both are. Other than that it seems like a practical matter as well. I can't imagine that taking care of yourself will be easy and you don't know how long your recovery will be.

Having said that, I understand wanting to get this taken care of in one fell swoop. I will have to have the surgery soon and am not happy about having to wait a year between surgeries. I if I were in your situation if I got through the first surgery with absolutely no damage to my phrenic nerve I'd do the next one in three days (if I was sure I had the support to help take care of me afterwards, of course).

[Jomar]

I would ask why the Dr is thinking that way? cost saving??
I am surprised he would suggest it due to the recovery factors and such.


I don't know if I would be able to handle the extreme limitations of recovering from both sides at one time.

possibly as pixified says - do the first one and see how you feel about that option after a day or two...

[(Broken Wings)]

I asked the first tos surgeon to do them both at the same time and he looked at me kind a funny and said, "woman, you have to take care of yourself." of course he left the room. Then i thought, well, they can just spray me off with a waterhose. I didn't understand at that time just how impaired one is after tos. I guess you could check in to a rehab center for about 2 weeks. I honestly wanted to have them done at the same time, but i am not a doctor. I dont' know what's best for my body. Probably not the best plan ! ! ! !

I don't think they would do double knees if your feet were as useful to your body.

My other dr, dr. Atasoy, has suggested surgeries, i believe, one year apart. I would bank on what he said. He said, "to give the body time to heal."

[Anne4tos]

Jay:

All of these responses are extremely valid points. I've always thought about the Phrenic Nerve problem, but you'd have to solely rely on someone for your care and recovery.

I'm bilateral as well and the surgeons I have seen have used the one year marker. You won't know the full extent of the surgery until possibly a year or more out. You know the stats. If things fall into the bad stat area, would you want to lay 2 on the table at once?

I do know one person who had bilateral rib resections 3-4 days apart. He is the first and only one I have heard about. His outcome seems to have fallen below his expectations and into the bad stat range. Think long and hard!

Anne

[tossucks]

Thank you all for your responces, and they are all valid points I have considered. As stated before, I have not dived into this thing, and am still being very cautious. Jomar I dont believe it is for a cost saving factor, simply just to have it taken care of at once, done and over with.
Again, after one rib is done, he waits 3 days, if all is well, then he proceeds to the next, if things arent as expected, he would not move on to the next side.
I have seen people post on the board who have surgery and retun to work the next week, I am relaistic about this and expect a long recovery time for my body. I would have exellent care durring my recovery time at home so that would not be a problem. I may not be as young as I once was, but if i keep putting this on/off in my head I will only be older, and my chances of healing/recovery wont get any better. As I have said before, I do not support surgery, unless it is a last resort....im just starting to feel like there are no more options.
Again, doing it in this manor for this surgeon is not something new to him, just something I had not heard of before. He continues to see and monitor his patients recovery for 3yrs after surgery. I have been fortunate enough to talk to a couple of his patients personally as well, and that has somewhat re-assured me of his compitance. (they each only had one side done though)
Thank you again all.
Cheers,
Jay

[Anne4tos]

Jay:

Need to chime in here again. I've thought about this for myself but was shot down like Broken Wings.

My question would be how can the surgeon accurately evaluate you after 3 days. I would assume you'd still be on massive meds and pain, or lack of, wouldn't be an indicator to move forward. What does he/she use diagnostically to make the judgement to move to rib #2.

Anne

[Jomar]

I added ??? to your thread title - it may get more replies from those that had surgery already. and maybe they had that option offered also.

[astern]

My surgeon waited 4 months between rib resections. It was hard and I had minimal help. Basically you don't want to have to depend on someone to wipe your butt for the first 4 weeks.



Good luck! I know surgery is a hard decision to come to, but your body obviously tells you when it's time.

Anne

[tossucks]

Originally Posted by Jo*mar

I added ??? to your thread title - it may get more replies from those that had surgery already. and maybe they had that option offered also.

Thanks very much...it makes it sound more interesting. lol.
And anne (#2) Yea, I thought about that part of things.....guess it would be a test to see just how much my wife does love me.

Annefortos....thanks for chiming in again lol. you help is appriciated.