Hi everyone. I'm a new member and I'm very happy to have found this forum, because I have a lot of questions. Also, hopefully I can share my experiences with others to help them!

I've been suffering on and off with right-sided back, neck, chest and rib pain since a pair of car accidents in 1999 and 2000. In the past five months that pain has become so excruciating that I've had to stop working and am almost completely bedridden. I've been recently diagnosed with right-sided TOS and a doctor has recommended a scalenectomy although my scalene block results were inconclusive. I do have abnormal EMG results and extensive nerve compression showing up on an MRN.

I am looking for a Los Angeles recommendations for the following: a doctor to spearhead my care, a doctor to give me a second opinion of the diagnosis and surgery recommendation, physical therapists who specifically deal with TOS and any other healthcare providers that may have helped you. Have there been any great Los Angeles healthcare providers that you could recommend? I am in dire need.

Also, does anyone know if there is a problem with a vascular surgeon performing TOS surgery on a patient with wholly neurological symptoms? In addition, does anyone know how I can find out what the rate is of success for a scalenectomy? And, are there any other shots that I can get such as epidurals, with which other members have had good experiences? Does anyone know if there are doctors at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester that deal with this problem and if it is a good place to go for TOS if you have become frustrated with your local medical system?

Thanks so much for any and all thoughts.