Surgery May 9th, 2014 to remove first rib and scalenectomy. Went back to work after 2 weeks - BIG mistake. I felt fine at the 6 week mark. Post surgical nerve pain in my arm, thumb and chest were the worst part of the surgery. At 6 weeks it was like someone flipped a switch and the pain was gone. Anyone considering this surgery - please be sure you take a minimum of 6 weeks before returning to work (I have a desk job). I can't say this surgery has alleviated all of my symptoms and if it worked or not remains to be seen. My PT said it can take a full year to completely recover. My vascular surgeon did not anticipate the amount of pain post surgery and thought recovery would take a few days. NO idea where that thought came from!! My neuro surgeon, who was the co-surgeon has been wonderful. Tough condition, tough surgery.

Yes, two weeks is tooo... soon. For some, 6 weeks or so is correct. Glad you are back working. Take it easy, and don't over do it. GOD bless u as u continue to recovery.

Hi sueofct - thanks for the cautionary words and advice on return-to-work time.
From your post, it seems that you may have had both a neurosurgeon and a vascular surgeon operating on you. Was that the case? Were both surgeons in the operating room?

To me, TOS seems like a medical condition that crosses multiple disciplines. In general, I would prefer to have a neurosurgeon do most of the soft-tissue dissection and neurolysis and have a vascular/thoracic surgeon remove the rib and repair any vessels as needed. I feel like this would optimize the outcome, as each surgeon focuses on the tissues and procedures that they have the most expertise in. I have been wondering if there are medical groups that organize themselves in this way --both a neurosurgeon and vascular/thoracic surgeon in the operating room?? If this was the case for you…would be great to learn more and to know who performed your surgery.

Thanks for sharing your experience thus far…and I wish you much success in your recovery.

Hi. Sorry it took so long to respond. Yes, I had a neurosurgeon (he also did, previously, a Chiari I decompression on me) and a Vascular surgeon. The neuro worked with the nerves and the vascular surgeon took out the first rib and did the scalene muscles. Off pain meds now for 2 weeks but seems the surgery was of little help. I've been told I also have this on my right side but I will not have this surgery again. I think the reason it did not work for me, and I have heard of this happening, is that too many years had gone by without a diagnosis and the damage severe. I continue to try to work full time but that is getting harder to do.

Seems a little early to judge whether it worked our not. Do your doctors think that you've reached full recovery already? How long did you have TOS prior to surgery?