Hi all,

first time in ages since I have posted!

I have just totally lost a massive new tread that I was gonna post out to you all, including all my details from a 2 year post surgery report.

We'll needless to say, that it was too long to repeat and type out all over again... So in short, I am stating that I am in the same situation as before as in pre surgery. Initially I had issues with A/VTOS bilaterally. I had a first rib excision on my right side which has unfortunately left me with an absolutely irritation/deliberating bruit on my left side. Post surgery I have been left with the constant sound in my ear of whooshing/ pulsing. At times it is barely audible, on others, after physical activity for instance, it's sounds as if someone is pumping air from a bicycle pump directly into my ear! My ENT consultant has since explained... After a 2 year wait for diagnoses that, it is a result of an irregular blood flow. Thus this fact is quite worrying as I explained my new symptoms of hearing this pulsing sound to my Vascular surgeon post surgery who found no connection?... I know for a fact that I did not experience these symptoms prior to surgery!

So my question to you all is... To have or not have surgery?

My personal answer would be, after recovering from a very intrusive and painful surgery that resulted in no change to my occlusion issues, is to make sure that absolutely all testing possible has been preformed before undergoing
invasive surgery which could result in the removal of vital tendons, ligaments, muscles etc!

My latest report from my Neurologist , over 2 years post op has confirmed that despite undergoing surgery for TOS my pulse still obliterates when my arm is held in abduction and external rotation.

Surgery for me now is only an option if it is a matter of life or death!

I hope this is food for thought... Don't rush to go under the knife... It doesn't always work.

xxx