Hi All,

So, I've just been seeing a Dr. for nerve pain in my neck and left shoulder that shoots down my left arm. He suspected Thoracic Outlet Syndrome. After additional examination he suspected arterial involvement and I had an MRI with contrast which confirmed his diagnosis. I have severe compression of my subclavian veins and arteries. And, by the way, while it is indeed worse on my left side, it is bilateral. YAY! I am a fan of symmetry.... sigh...

The internet seems to be full of information on nTOS, but getting information on vTOS/aTOS seems difficult. Even when I find an article or a professional that claims knowledge in the condition, all the information seems to be generic nTOS info. It's very frustrating. In addition, the only surgeon's name that seems to come up frequently in the San Diego area is Dr. Justin Brown who specializes in nTOS. It seems if surgery involves the veins and arteries he brings in another specialist. After wrestling with this for a while and not really seeing other options, I decided I would just go in for a consultation. Well... he is in the process of moving and is no longer accepting San Diego patients so now that's not even a option anymore.

I know that the neurosurgery department at UCSD is top notch so I'm not worried about that side of things. But do I need a vascular specialist? How about a neurovascular surgeon?

I know that there are lists of Drs. on this board, but it is very outdated or they are just a list of names that don't say if they are even recommended or not and they don't say if they are knowledgable in vTOS/aTOS.

Does anyone have any recommendations for a surgeon here in San Diego (preferably UCSD) that is well versed in vTOS/aTOS?

Or... do any of you have glowing recommendations for your vTOS/aTOS surgeon, even if they are not located here? I assume it is a very small community and if I can't find any recommendations for San Diego, I'll just contact the surgeons outside the area and maybe they have recommendations for me.

Also... I would love some surgery stories specifically related to aTOS or from those of you who are in the Trifecta Club, so please feel free to post them here.

Thanks in advance for your help!