Hope you are all managing well and are as pain free as possible!!
Quick question....anyone in here ever had phrenic nerve involvement pre or post rib resection. I was very short of breath and could not lay flat as felt like I was suffocating, also causes me to cough and then voice goes hoarse after talking for awhile and so I just shut up ( yea friends are LOVIN it!!!hahahahhahahah)...continues to be ongoing to date March 15,2008.My surgery was Dec4th,2007.
Was told could take months to resolve if it ever does!

Take Care All!!!!
Linda

Yes, I also had surgery first week of December(full scalenectomy, no rib resection) and failed "puff" test post surgery. Was on oxygen for a few days but that was it. I do still get random "out of breath" with only slight exertion on a daily basis. Too much talking seem to also trigger it. I keep forgetting to mention it at checkups. I haven't felt suffocating, sorry to hear you're getting such extreme symptoms.
That phrenic nerve doesn't like to be even "breathed" upon....it takes quite awhile to recover when irritated.

Marabunta

Yep I had it after each of my scalene injections but I think it was more that the anathesia irritated it beause it did not take that long for it to recover. BUt keep it mind it was not surgery.

Do you take an anit-inflammatory. Perhaps it would help.

I forgot to mention(blame the Lyrica)....As I understand it, phrenic nerve involvement, whether reported or not, is one of the top reasons surgeons want to wait at least 9-12 months between surgeries on each side. They want to make sure the phrenic is fully functional as it controls your diaphragm. While some of the other nerves in that area are easily identifiable because of their size(think pencil or larger), the phrenic is about the size of a pencil lead and much more sensitive to manipulation.

Marabunta

Pherenic nerve damage is immediate and very concerning. The symptoms seem to be another or coexisiting symptom too. THe pherneic nerve traveks to either side of the diaphgram and allows to expane and deflate the lungs. I am not sure about irratation, but damaged nerve is when you need Ox to breath from shortness of breath of the innability to inflate the lung. When I had a friend in NJ had surgery her side effect was a deep raspy voice, almost too hard to speak. She had scar matter post op wrap around the area, a clean up redo was done and did aleviate that symptom.

I would wonder about if you had a breathing tube and damage done from the anestisia? This I heard from other surgeries not a TOS surgery developing and it did take months to have the inflamation calm down.
Post op is not weeks, it is months and years. Not like having tonsils out, an arm break repaired, etc. The nerves for some are fine and others hyper signals, even in some spots permanant feel of novacain numbness.

Do a general search on post op anesethsia side effects and see if anything fits.
Sounds like resting does help you. Becareful chewing, chew everything theorughly, what if you did not feel a too large piece, or too large got stuck .
TOS is always a detective work, not a cookie cutter in the world for us,

I knew of one gal from old forum that had a TOS surgery, first time on this side she had a pherenic nerve paralyzed. Then after a redo on the opposite side the second pherenic nerve was paralyzed. She is on oxygen total for life support, has an aid dog, needs a motor chair to get around and every breath is a challange. w/c was trying to cut O2 for her and we had a campaign to pray and send letters to her representatives to help in the life needed treatment. She was a professional singer too. The surgeon, a top of the top considered surgeon.

Keep us updated,
dianne

Some of your symptoms remind me of when I had the pleural effusion (fluid building up in the space between the lung sack and the chest wall). Pain on lying down, unable to take a breath... have you been checked for this? I think an x-ray is all it takes to rule this out.

Perhaps the pherenic nerve is what is being irritated when I have breathing difficulties? Like someone sitting on my chest, dizzy, weak... it very scary!

I hope things will resolve for you soon Linda - but do have the lungs double-checked, OK hun?

Hi
You mentioned a friend of yours had a "redo" of a surgery and it took care of the issue. Can you please provide some information on it as I suffer from dyspnea, inablity to yawn, and fatigue. Had neck surgery a few years ago and have asked if it could be from the scar tissue. To wit, I have been told No and am still suffering.
I am grateful for any help as it has gotten unbearable.

Kim

You always have the best pictures Di.

dear DiMarie,
I wonder if you are still frequenting the site?
I am a professional singer (classical) and I have an extra clavicle rib causing TOS, and causing pulse slow in both arms when raised.

I am really concerned about possible side effects of surgery and I am not in constant pain- just have to adjust everything I do and cope with numbness and pins and needles and headaches. Mostly manageable. vascular surgeon suggested surgery straight away though! Chiro thinks it is in no way urgent, and is supplying relief.

My question is about the singer you mentioned. Do you have any other info about how she was affected?

Best wishes,
Anna

Hi,
I believe what you meant was that you had a "sniff test". I also am presently suffering from Phrenic Nerve Damage. It has been over a year since surgery in that area and I believe the surgeon cut it in half or enough to stop its functioning. Has your Phrenic nerve function returned yet?
David G