Ditto. That's what I was wondering, what the heck was your original injury??

Hello there,
Just wanted to know if anyone could tell me about their experiences recovering from this op please?

My b/f needs to have rib one resection due to on going blood clots. He's had 3 in his upper right arm in the last 2 months but no other symptoms. They don't really know what is causing the clots as he's also having chemotherapy and had a PICC line fitted in this arm originally that the vein kept rejecting

However he is a roof tiller by trade & the arm that clots is his lifting arm.
How are any of you now with lifting heavy weight? We are concerned he won't be able to go back to his trade again after the op.

Thank you for any advice anyone can offer, there seems very little on the internet of personal recovery stories.

I'm a 29yr old female that was recently diagnosed with neurogenic TOS after suffering 6 years going to doctor after doctor and specialists,. My symptoms got worse the last few years and recently in July. Symptoms were severe shoulder and neck pain on the right side, numbness and tingling in arm hands and fingers, discoloration and swelling in fingers, unable to lift heavy items or lift my right arm all the way above my head, lose my radial pulse when arm is above head. After all the years and numbers of tests done, MRIs, X-rays, CTs, EMGs , dopplers, ultrasounds, nerve studies every single test came back normal.

Anyone who has gone through this know it's tough but don't get discouraged even though tests came back normal. I was told by a few that I need a shrink and that it was all in my head, but deep down inside and my gut feeling I knew something was wrong. I felt a sigh of relief when The doctor I saw told me the news and looking forward to a better less painful life.

My surgery is scheduled for November 25th just under 3 weeks away. My vascular surgeons name is Dr. Enrique Criado who is through the Uniiversity of Michigan and is told he is the best in the state of Michigan for TOS cases. I've never had surgery before abit scared about it. I was told they will be doing a first rib resection with neurolysis and scalenectomy. I understand what is gonna happen with the surgery I'm wondering how the recovery is and what the first week is like. Any info helps thank you .... Lindsey

Hi Lindsey,

Replied to you through your other post.

J

I know this thread hasn't been used for a long time but if anyone happens to see this- advice would be great!
I am 5 weeks post op after a first rib resection on the right hand side for TOS. My incision is around my clavicle.
Immediately upon waking after the op I had intense tingling in my hand and the loss of sensation. I can move my fingers but not normally and I have little strength. My arm mobility, particularly when stretching up or out, is very limited and the muscles in my arm hurt A LOT. I feel this may be a result of some nerve damage during the op, the consultant was surprised and assured me they didn't cut any nerves and has no idea why this has happened.
I am on stronger meds now to try and help with the tingling but I still have problems with the movement and sensation. Has this happened to anyone else? Particularly the hand tingling?

How are you now since you've had your surgery? I also use Dr. Avery and I will say he is the best ! I have had a wonderful recovery, both sides done one 5/05 then the other side 5/06. If I could just get therapy out of W.C. I could be even better.

I should of read your update first..... Yes Dr. Avery has wonderful bed side manners. Evryone likes him so you get the best from all the nurses and other doctors. I stayed 5 days in the hospital each time. I had the left side done 5/05 then the right 5/06. I have recovered real good, I'm also having trouble with the breathing. Use the VOLDYNE it really helps. I'm riding my bicycle now so that it helping with the lung power. You can ask Dr. Avery about me I ahve told him and Ann about this web site. I'm his star patient David K.

I'm having surgery with Dr. Avery in Jan. 07. Due to the fact I have 4 children and my husband sometimes works 6 days a week, I'm trying to get my life in order before I have another surgery.....I had a neck fusion
C4-5/ C5-6 in Oct 2005.

I wrote in an earlier post about the size of the norrowing......mine is 6mm on the right and 7mm on the left. It's nice to hear someone else who's problems are so similar.... My condition seems to be getting worse. But I have to wait and get through the holidays....It's so nice to hear from others who have had surgery with Dr. Avery. Please keep me posted...Thanks

Ann
Pinole, CA

bumping also

Hi There, Like many people i turned to the internet to read about my new diagnosis. I had just been told i had Thoracic Outlet Syndrome. My symptoms were textbook case and started on 4th February 2009. It took months and numerous hospital and doctor referals before i was finally diagnosed with the condition.

I had numerous x rays, MRI Scans, CT Scans (some with dye injected),echo grams, ultrasounds..... the list was endless. I felt like every available test i had. On top of this were of course blood and urine tests galore!!!!

I was then told mid October 2009 that i needed a major surgery procedure. Terrified is putting it lightly. I was otherwise healthy (asthma but well controlled now with no medication) and had never had surgery except for two C Sections for my children. The surgery would consist of removing my first rib and part of the muscle about the right breast (sorry, can't remember its proper name). I was scared stiff and turned to the internet. This site was wonderful for me. To read peoples experiences of the op made me feel slightly more at ease. Knowing what to expect for me works. It's not for everyone but i had to know ALL i could. I even watched a video on You Tube of the operation being done!!

As it was this surgeon backed out just weeks before my op saying he didnt feel qualified enough to do it. I was then referred to the surgeon who infact did my surgery and was wonderful, Mr Paul Wilson at Royal Lancaster Infirmary, Lancaster, England. I had the surgery on 12th March 2010, 13 months after the pain first started. I had a surgeon from Blackpool, England come over to watch and learn from the surgery as it is very rare and finding a surgeon who knows how to do the procedure was hard. There was quite a crowd in theatre watching all that went on.

I wanted to write my thanks to the people on this site for helping me, allowing me to read their stories was much needed. I now wanted to do the same, post my experience in the hope i too can help someone by sharing my experience.

I am now nearly 5 weeks post op.

Starting with the surgery. I had 3/4 of my first rib removed on the right side, this was my affected side. I also had half of the muscle taken away as explained earlier. I also ended up having to have my nerve cut that runs across my right side of chest and down my right arm. This was to keep permanent nerve damage to a minimum. The nerve had been badly compressed and stretched during my early months pre surgery. Once they opened me up they found things to be a lot worse than they thought and the surgeon said i would of been in a lot of pain just from them trying to get into the area. This explained why i felt like i had been hit by a ten ton truck. Surgery took 2hrs (double the expected. My husband had been told around 1 hr). I was in recovery for 4 hours. I walked into theatre at 8.45am and only got to the ward 3.30pm. I had a PCA with morphine in up for 5 days. After it got took down i went on to oral morphine as well as other meds, paracetamol etc. My hospital stay again was longer than i had been told. I originally was due to be between 1 and 4 days. Due to the extreme procedure done this infact went to 9 days in hospital. I came home on Paracetamol, Codeine Phosphate,Diclofenac Sodium,Amitriptyline. Other meds for constipation and bowels.

Driving home from hospital was a nightmare, every bump in the road was agony. Walking to the toilet and back to the settee was enough for the first week and into the second week. By the third week i had a little walk round the road i live on. Standing up is more painful, try to support your arm the best you can. You do tire very easily. Just take it easy and remember to listen to your body. I very stupidly tried to cut down my pills and got very upset, crying that i couldn't cope anymore. 3 weeks after this surgery is far to early to bthinking of cutting back on medications, i learnt that the hard way.

My husband had a month of work to look after me and the children. This week he has gone back to work and im doing ok. I walk around the house no problems now, car journeys are still a little painful but a lot better. I have made meals on the last 2 nights with some help but this tires me out. I do manage washing but not pegging out or ironing. Light housework, ie; dusting wiping down i can do no problem. It's little doses then nothing gets too much. I am however no where near ready for driving myself. I am hoping another couple of weeks.

I forgot to say from day one i showered myself, more down to my determination... very difficult and certainly not a shower to the degree you would normally have but you do and can get by doing that yourself. My surgery was done via under the arm. My scar is around 10cm long (not that i have measured it, it's a guess!!)

I hope i havn't gone on too much and this does help. If i have missed anything you want to know when reading this, im sorry. I will check back on here in a few more weeks when there may be more to write. I go back to my surgeon exactly 8 weeks to the day of surgery.

I have had odd days of the same pre op pain and discolouration but my surgeon did say this may happen so i am not worrying about that yet!!


I copied your post here to a new thread of your own - so we can say hello, you can find it on this page - on the main TOS page thread list -
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/forum24.html