[S.i.m.]

Hello all... I am thankful to have found this board, as it seems to be filled with knowledgeable and active members... I wish I had found this months ago...

I have been dealing with shoulder/arm pain and numbness in my left hand for about 10 months now. My pain most of the summer was a 2-3, but since August it has been up to 6-7-8 range, and the last few weeks it has continued to get worse. In the last two weeks is when my multitude of doctors have finally landed on Thoracic Outlet Syndrome as the probable cause of my pain. (Diagnosis by exclusion)

My reason for seeking out some insight, I am scheduled to have rib resection surgery on Friday on my first rib on the left side. The doctor has told me that I will stay over night, and be released on Saturday (Christmas Eve).

I am looking for coaching from others who have had this surgery. My family lives three hours from the hospital, and I really want to be home with my kids for Xmas... My current plan is to have my wife drive me back home on Saturday so I can be with my family for the holiday, but I have no idea if I will be 'up' for that kind of travel the day after the surgery.

We have an SUV, so I could lay down in the back, if needed... I just don't know what to expect, so any thoughts would be great...

Thanks in advance....

Steve in Minneapolis...
(S.i.M.)

[tossucks]

Get good drugs for the ride home, and dont use your hands. Just plan on needing lots of rest. A button up shirt, and away you go. Good luck, I had mine last week.

[ladylaura418]

Good luck, Steve. I hope all goes to plan. I have not had surgery yet, and hoping to avoid it, but I wish you all the best.

Take care of yourself!

[Sheri_TOS]

Steve -

I definitely can not imagine a 3 hr drive the day after surgery. I had my 1st rib removed 8 years ago and spent 2 days in the hospital. I'd recommend a pillow (or two) to rest the arm on for the trip back. Definitely keep up with the pain meds but maybe ask for something for nausea. Between the anesthesia, pain meds and the long drive, you might not feel that good.

Good luck!

[Jomar]

To be totally honest , very few people go home the next day after a rib resection.
Most stay at least 3 days, and still feel like a truck hit them for a week or two longer.

I don't know if you've ever heard this , but holiday weeks/weekends are generally the worst time to have a major surgery done.
All the best nurses & interns are usually off. FYI

I feel I must mention a few more things.

Is the surgeon an expert at this surgery??

Has there been many tests and imaging to show this is the best course- like a clear cut cause - large or abnormal bony structures?

Please don't accept a less than expert surgeon for this surgery.
There are too many sensitive areas involved - and the chance of scar tissue later on, that can cause just as much pain as you have now.

Please explore the other messages & the sticky threads a surgery is not always a fix as the drs may lead you to believe.
our search tool link -
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/search.php

I just want to be sure you have as many facts as possible to decide for yourself if this is really the best thing to do now.

I haven't read your other posts yet so I may have jumped the gun , but a busy time of year and I wanted to be sure to get this reply to you.

ditto about after home post surgery - pillows, recliner, easy meals, easy on/off clothes, ice packs/heat packs.. on and on

[S.i.m.]

Originally Posted by Jo*mar

To be totally honest , very few people go home the next day after a rib resection.
Most stay at least 3 days, and still feel like a truck hit them for a week or two longer.

I don't know if you've ever heard this , but holiday weeks/weekends are generally the worst time to have a major surgery done.
All the best nurses & interns are usually off. FYI

I feel I must mention a few more things.

Is the surgeon an expert at this surgery??

Has there been many tests and imaging to show this is the best course- like a clear cut cause - large or abnormal bony structures?

Please don't accept a less than expert surgeon for this surgery.
There are too many sensitive areas involved - and the chance of scar tissue later on, that can cause just as much pain as you have now.

Please explore the other messages & the sticky threads a surgery is not always a fix as the drs may lead you to believe.
our search tool link -


I just want to be sure you have as many facts as possible to decide for yourself if this is real the best thing to do now.

I haven't read your other posts yet so I may have jumped the gun , but a busy time of year and I wanted to be sure to get this reply to you.

ditto about after home post surgery - pillows, recliner, easy meals, easy on/off clothes, ice packs/heat packs.. on and on

That is quite a bit to chew on... I really hadn't thought about your point about the staff being off on the Holiday... Something to think about next time.

I have read quite a few of the stories about the surgerys, and peoples recoverys. I haven't read many about the diagnoses of TOS.

For me, It started this Spring, where I suddenly had a pain/numbness in my left shoulder, scapula, and sometimes in front around my rib cage, with occassional numbness in my left hand around my pinky/ring finger.

I spent the summer with many different doctors, three different PTs, took 5 MRIs, a half dozen XRays, an EMG, three different surgeons, a chiro, and none of them were able to diagnose the issue, or alleviate the pain.

Finally after the EMG, I was referred to a vascular surgeon (Dr. HL Saylor) who 'has been doing this surgery for 20 years'. Not sure if that makes him any good. I did see his name elsewhere on this board....

since I have excluded all of these other potential causes for my pain, and had tried PT with several different doctors and clinics, they felt that this surgury was the best option...

What other potential non-surgical remedies are there for this pain?

[Jomar]

I don't know how advanced, or what kind of training / experience the PTs & DC had, or what kinds of therapies they used...
The wrong kind of PT can make you worse.

Also what may have brought on your TOS?
job/desk work/weightlifting/sports injury/previous whiplash- or any other injuries like that?

Even if mostly a posture/repetitive/soft tissue cause it can take years of rehab to turn it around.
And if you are still working while trying to rehab that will take even longer.

Therapies & tips -

Trigger point work

posture, posture , posture = the bad forward head/forward shoulders needs to be addresses if that might be an issue

diaphragmatic breathing - "belly" breathing

explore relaxation methods if you are stressed - stress = less oxygen to cells that need it & subconsciously tightened muscles

fluids = keeps the tissues lubricated so they don't get sticky - "sticky" fascia tissue can adhere to muscles, vascular & nerves and cause all sorts of problems

general nutrition for overall health


I could list more but it would be helpful to see all your sx listed for a better idea of what to suggest.

[Jomar]

Here are a couple of posts from the Useful sticky thread that might be helpful -

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/post85992-17.html
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/post87845-18.html

[boytos]

Why not try intense progressive shoulders shrugs before your surgery ?

[S.i.m.]

Originally Posted by Jo*mar

I don't know how advanced, or what kind of training / experience the PTs & DC had, or what kinds of therapies they used...
The wrong kind of PT can make you worse.

Also what may have brought on your TOS?
job/desk work/weightlifting/sports injury/previous whiplash- or any other injuries like that?

Even if mostly a posture/repetitive/soft tissue cause it can take years of rehab to turn it around.
And if you are still working while trying to rehab that will take even longer.

I could list more but it would be helpful to see all your sx listed for a better idea of what to suggest.

I don't have a specific traumatic injury or work that I think has triggered it. I originally tweaked one of my shoulder muscles while coaching my 5 year old daughters hockey team. I was dragging four or five of them around on the their bellies on the ice and 'whipping them' by pulling my hockey stick across my body and them pulling back, effectively sending them spinning like a top across the ice. I only did that a couple of times and ended up with a sore shoulder. after a couple of PT sessions, I ended up having totally different pain, and now numbness.

My pain started at that point in the 2-3 range and stayed there for most of the summer. By late august it jumped again... by this time I had begun doing some chiropractic work... I ended that immediately... but now my pain is in the 7-8-9 range...

Beyond the fluky hockey practice thing that I don't think would have caused this, I work at an office and do spend a fair amount of time on my computer... but I am not sure that is the issue... I do know that I like to sleep with my left arm straight above my head, with my head resting right on top of my left shoulder. I have done this for years, and I wonder if that is what is causing this issue...