Pixified,

That's interesting. I just don't have any of those symptoms at all. I'd really like to give some kind of therapy/posture rehabilitation a shot.

Plexus...the MRA showed the compression ONLY when the arms were up.

I would like to get some kind of metrics around what % blocked this artery is. Maybe the tests Friday will do this. I'm also interested to see if this thrill diminishes at all by my next visit on June 22nd.

And Dr. Donaghue keeps coming up in the MA area. Sounds like a good candidate for a 2nd opinion.

KY

Is your thrill positional ?

Don't think so. It seems to present in any position.

What are the implications of positional vs. non-positional?

KY

If its in any position then its likely to mean continuous narrowing of the artery ,either by continued compression by adjacent structures or previous prolonged compression causing permanent narrowing/changes to the arterial wall. In either case you may be at significant risk of having an embolism (i couldn't tell you what that risk is quantifiably).This is what the surgeon will be worried about

I saw Louis Messina for a second opinion when he was at UC San Francisco. He's now head of Vascular Surgery at University of Massachusetts Medical Center. I believe he's gotten more conservative regarding TOS surgery as the years have gone by. He's probably worth a call.

I saw Dr. Donahue at Mass General in late March, now waiting for insurance company to give in. He's unbelievably NICE, patient, thorough. For TOS, he views surgery as the last choice, not the first, he said, explores everything else before deciding on surgery, as he wants to make sure it's the right thing to do, since it's so major. Considering all the idiots I've been sent round and round to, and how I feel about the entire medical "profession" at this point, that I would recommend anyone is kind of incredible.

I'll be calling both Dr Donahue and Messina today. Both are listed in MA on the ATOS website. Donahue appears to be one of the lead Drs. here.

What's scary is that if it weren't for my neurologic symptoms, I probably wouldn't have even uncovered this arterial issue since I don't display any of the arterial TOS symptoms.

Really feel like I need to get a measure of the severity of this "thrill" or bruit. I also wonder if some of us are walking around with these things and just don't know it.

KY