I had a 1st rib resection(left side) 3 weeks ago. I had the surgery scheduled at Johns Hopkins, but, decided to have a local surgeon do it instead so we could be close to home. Big mistake! The surgeon damaged both nerves and muscles during the surgery. It has been hell, I was released from the hospital 2 days after surgery, then readmitted 2 days later because the pain was so out of control. They kept me for a week trying everything they could to control the pain. They even tried a Fentanyl patch, which did not help. They sent me to a Pain Management Dr. yesterday who may install a pump for pain meds if this latest round of drugs doesn't help.

I would love to hear from anyone who has gone through this. It's devastating to think I may have life-long pain because I picked the wrong surgeon.