[David K.]

Hello Everyone,
I'm 4 months out from my second surgery. I had the rib removal and all the scalline muscles. Dr Avery did great work! I have been denied therapy wich has been a set back. I was doing water therapy and that was the best it really works the upper body and strengthens the core. It will be about a 12 month recovery and then I move on. Take care

[annhere]

Hi David,

I'm set to have my 1st rib removed on my right side due a severe narrowing
(only 6mm & 7mm on the left). I had a neck fusion in 10.2005 it helped a lot with my neck pressure, but as you know with TOS there horrible pain. I'm glad to hear you had surgery with Dr. Avery.....Can your tell me more? Did you have a MRA/MRV test prior? How long were under his care before his suggested surgery? What is your history....

Thanks for your time.

Ann

[nidia74]

hi there.
2 weeks post-op...Oct 4th.
I'm struggling because of a lot of swelling and still a lot of pain. I was under retractor longer than expected because Dr. Avery said it was really quite a mess in there. oops!! My narrowing numbers are/were 5 mm on right which I had done and 2 mm on left.
I have limited range & control of right arm because of swelling of nerves/ build up of fluid affecting biceps and deltoids. I can move my hand and wrist but that's about it for now. I had full range with my arm day of surgery but overnight the nerves swelled up and I've had a little day to day improvement since. My diaphragm was weak too but I've made huge progress strengthening. I'm very tired and wear out easily but am doing stretching exercises every day. Just going to be slow!!
I had my first out patient PT appt today which went well. Before surgery, I moved to SLC to have support from family and it's been reassuring to have chosen to do the surgery in SF even though I'm doing recovery/pt in SLC. The therapist said the last surgical case she had was 15 years ago.
She and Dr. Avery have talked at length and I feel very confident with her. She seems very on the ball as far as the right protocols for healing from this surgery and nerve desensitivation. The facility is state of the art at the Univ. of Utah...just very few surgeries are actually performed here.
I have been so impressed with Dr. Avery. I met him a year ago and then again in March. I had to see a neurologist/ Dr. Ansel from w/c and get his go ahead before they would authorize surgery. Dr. Avery was very thorough before and after in his care and responds quickly. He obviously cares about his patients...and not just those he does surgery on.
Nidia

[Dolfinz]

Hi all,
My name is Valerie and I have just been diagnosed with a Subclavian Compression on the right side: Artierial TOS and such.. I am so glad to see a new site .. miss ya all !

Ciao

[dabbo]

Hi all- glad to have stumbled across this site too - I'm a 25 y.o. male, docs think I have TOS - thankfully, only on the left side. Constant pain, numbness, tingliness, weakness, etc. I do get some, albeit brief, relief from the nerve blocks. I've been trying to think of how this all happened, and can only think that its another 6.5yr old injury (mar 2000) from weight lifting- My shoulders had rotated/drooped EXTREMELY far forward. I tore my labrum (left shoulder), which went undiagnosed for 5.5 years or so. I finally had that taken care of this past march. Lo and behold, 5 wks later, i noticed constant numbness and pain in my arm. Initially I wrote it off to the shoulder rehab/surgical nerve block, but it didn't go away . I also realized that I had some of the same pains 1yr ago, and I just attributed them to my other injury. Saw 2 neurologists, was referred to a pain management doctor (top-notch guy, in my humble opinon ). He thought it was brachio-plexopathy, continued to treat me, while referring me to a thoracic doctor, who said it sounded/looked like TOS, and then HE referred me to another neurosurgeon . My pain mgmt doc told me today that no one was to cut on me until i had a BARE MINIMUM of 2 opinons (exluding his) - that raised my respect for him. Thankfully I'm still able to work, but going to the doc/pt (and never after or before my long work hours) is getting tiresome. I know it could be worse. Sorry to ramble......

[oldsman2]

Man o man where to start.

01/2003 started having numbness of upper extremities while working overhead
made several dr. visits to finally get a name and DX for it. Only took
18 months.
08/2003 Dx'd bilat. C/T and Bitlat arterial thoracic.
09/20/2003 removed from work for redue of right C/T and birage of Physical
therapy for Tos. amoungst the nightmare of tests emg/ncv's
goes on for along time until 2004
10/12/2004 all treatments and therapies stopped due to complications its has
caused medically suspended from work till further notice finally.
11/08/2004 right 1st rib resection performed with positive results no therapy
given
12/09/2004 left 1st rib resection performed with bad results no therapy given
12/24/2004 unable to take anymore of me hurting wife leaves me.
01/06/2005 still having complications to left side and no ideas from dr why.
02/14/2005 with improper care and lack of if attempted suicide for both
physical and emotional pain.
totall attempts number 4
the pain in the left is still present to this day and has caused me all sorts of grieve. the last attempt on myself was june 30/2006 and left me in the hospital for over 2 weeks one week was spent in ICU. dont remember much of the time..
finally got the help i needed from pshyc dr's. not that i trust dr's anymore thou.
10/10/2006 1 week stay in hospital for a t4 or t5 epideral 750 ml of bupovicaine pumped in my arm. stopped pain for 3 days after it was removed

now waiting on dr for the installation of some type of electronic device that is supposed to interrupt the pain signal from my arm before it goes to the brain
still fighting with w/c and ss lawyers. have not gotten a pay check since sept 20,2004 its sad to be living at home at the age of 34 with parents.

chris

[gbsb]

Hi folks!
I just found this place while searching TOS and SLAP Lesion.
In 2005 I was in a phase at work where I was lifting several thousand pounds a day in 30 - 50 pound increments. Much of this was removing 50# bags from pallets, placing on a cart, and relocating to shelving or piling them up in the work area.
Anyway I had pain in my shoulder after lifting and throwing a 50# bag on to a shelf at or above my head.
As usual I just dealt with the pain and hoped my day off would help if I rested.
Nope it just got worse.
I tried to report it to my managers but they were trying to get me to admit to doing it outside of work and to have my regular medical cover it.
Well, after some persistance on my part they finally got the work injury paperwork going and I went to see the Company's doctor's office that they contract work related medical stuff out to.
That doc said I had a strained shoulder.
I insisted on seeing my own doc and she recommended MRI and a follow up with a shoulder surgeon.
Work didn't want to deal with the restrictions my doc gave me and insisted my doc put me out on disability.
Since then I've been on WorkerComp.
Had three MRI's. One with a dye of some sort. Two were on my shoulder and one on my neck.
The shoulder ones showed some slight tearing or impingment. In the neck it indicated some degenerative disc disease.
The shoulder surgeon deferred from operating on my shoulder because he felt that my symptoms indicated TOS.
Went and saw a neurologist and I guess it was determined that my problem was vascular. So off to the vacular surgeon.
Vascular surgeon indicated I had three issues and he felt TOS surgery would be appropriate and said I might even get relief for my shoulder pain which is what I wanted releif from to begin with.
To make a long story short we agreed to do TOS surgery.
Somewhere in this process the Company and it's W/C insurance carrier were messing with me so I got an attorney. My attorney and the firm agreed to take my case. I'm not sure why as they will only be paid if I get some sort of settlement or pay off.
My TOS surgery was in October and at this point I can say I am almost over the pain from surgery but nearly all my symptoms are still present and my shoulder feels worse.
Followed up with vascular surgeon three time now. More meds and PT.
He has me going back to see shoulder surgeon in a several weeks and then another follow-up with him.
At this point I wish I would have known more about the TOS procedure. I'm still not sure if I'd do it again given a choice.
The surgeon seemed like he knew what he was talking about and my symptoms made sense.
Supposedly the vascular surgeon is one of the best at it in the N.E.
The only good thing is he didn't freak out when I told I actually felt worse.
I thought for sure he was going to tell me I'm nuts.
I think I'm going nuts.......these pain meds aren't helping the pain much and I think they are making me depressed.
Who knows?????
I'm looking foward to being able to read about other peoples experiences with TOS.
Take Care!

[siccy]

Hello to all I didnt post much on old forum .TOSER/RSD .99 dx repetative strain.01 rib resection with sypathectomy.05 spinal stim implant.

[comfortamI]

Hello all, my first day on and just want to say after fighting with doctors and lawyers re TOS or not I finally after 9 years received approval for treatment (after 2 Rotator Cuff Surgeries and entire spine treatments over the years due to a workman's comp. problem) Just want all to know that I was recommended by Kerlan-Jobe Orthopedic Group and Dr. Vernon Williams to be exact to see Dr. Jordan. I was not too anxious for the first treatment for injection in scalene muscles ? After so many years of fighting workman's comp and firing attorneys that would not listen, I WAS amazed how much better I felt. I REALLY did not want to have Botox injections (if so being in So. CA. I would have considered my face if not in soooo much pain) Dr. Williams finally convinced me and after fighting Workman's Comp throught the Courts, I received approval.

I must tell you that Dr. Sheldon Jordan is fantastic and that was "before I checked him out on the internet." I was unable to sleep laying down for many years due to TOS in both sides and left dominant and being left sided. For so many years I HAD to sleep sitting up and still in extreme pain with other body parts and with help of Lioderm patches (thank goodness they are available!!!!) Its been 2 months and of course I still have pain but with activity from a 8-9 its 4-6 and I feel that is fantastic and able to sleep again lying vertical.

Any questions please contact me, comfortamI because I am constantly looking for a better way to exist and live and be happy. (Even though I have constant pressure and refussal from Workman's Comp)

[cindyj]

Hi all, I used to stop in at the old forum once in awhile to read.I was so tired of health troubles that I couldn't stand the thought of typing them out.I am 40 and have 2 grown sons and my 1st grandchild on the way in may. My hubby and I are both unable to work due to health. Just to touch a few troubles i have dealt with bladder cancer on and off for 14 years , but have benn clear for 4 years so far this time.I have severe fibromyalgia,herniated lower disc,sciatica and several other related troubles.I was finally diagnosed with bi lteral TOS 2 years ago and have been on a surgery wait list ever since. I just got a phone call today telling me my surgery will be on tuesday jan.30th!! I am really scared right now.I had myself ready for the surgery 2 years ago but ive been waiting so long that it was a shock to get this call today. I am having left side rib taken out and muscle bands cut.I am supposed to be having surgery on my left arm for a shortened tendon on feb.9th.So now I dont know what will happen with that surgery.I have beenhardly able to use my arm for many months and am losing muscle mass.I am hoping that the TOS surgery might help my am problem too,but don't know if it will with my tendon shortened.I know alot of you have had surgery, did it help??I don't even have a clue how long I will be laid up recovering .Dr. Bethune in halifax,nova scotia, canada is doing the surgery.Does anyone have any advice for me ? I am scared!! thanks for listening cindy