Originally Posted by jlrob6

Hi all,

No Surgery for me at the moment.

After meeting w/ my hematologist today, and this is the gist of what happened:

Doc is too uncertain about potential risks and long term side effects of bilateral rib resection (I'd have to get both removed). Does not like this option at all. He says that the possibility of something going wrong is quite high and will take my body a long time to recover - longer than a healthy patient because of my weaker lungs, heart, blood flow caused by the clots.

Right side of my heart in still enlarged, and clots in my lungs and arm have not gone away like they were suposed to. Which makes him think that there is another underlying factor that could be causing my trouble- not just obstruction between 1st rib & clavicle.

Going to get lots of tests done in the next week. Factor 5 and other potential genetic blood diseases, Echo heart test, VQ lung scan, & some more ultra sounds.


So staying of Warfarin for the next 12 months at least. Could potentially go off it and see how I go, and then if I got another clot, we would revisit surgery route.

Bit of a confusing day. I had fully prepared myself to move forward with surgery option and now we're back to more tests and more uncertainty.

Thats it for now

I'll try and keep you all posted as I find out more info.

- Jenn

Originally Posted by OzKira

Hi Jenn

I have only just seen your post. I am in Melbourne as well. haematologist's here tend to fob you off here unless you have cancer. Thats what mine did with me. I am on thinners for life after 2 clots. I am on my 2nd Vascular specialist after the first one was a big fail. I am looking at surgery also but still doing the TOS shuffle between my Neurosurgeon and Vascular. How have things been for you and have you had any success with dr's?