Calling and calling and calling doctors has paid off!

Dr. Kline (LSU) has retired. His office is referring TOS patients to Dr. Daniel Kim (Baylor Houston). Dr. Kim was trained by Dr. Kline.
http://www.bcm.edu/neurosurgery/?PMID=7782

I haven't met Dr. Kim, but at least he'll should have a clue! WOOHOO!!!!!!

Awesome ! Good Luck

Well, I saw Dr. Kim - NeuroSurgeon & Professor @ Baylor. He seemed good. I did feel he understood TOS, which is a first for me to experience.

I went in with my 60 page medical history, typed timeline of dr visits, list of symptoms, colored in that body diagram thing, mri/xrays, etc..

He said I have vascular and neurological TOS. He said they'd probably need to do surgery to relieve the pressure on the arteries/nerves. I asked about other types of pt or something that might help and he said it sounds like I've tried and it hasn't helped.

I had a better feeling from him than Dr. Azizzadeh. Dr. A was like surgery...no problem. Dr. Kim told me he had done over 100 tos surgeries and, with Dr. Kline, studied the outcomes of the patients. He said that about 60% see some improvement after surgery and about 5% feel they shouldn't have had the surgery. He did NOT paint a rosy picture of it. More the opposite, which fits in better with what I've been reading.

He wants me to see a vascular surgeon he works with and has done cooperative TOS surgeries with (Dr. Tam Huynh @ Baylor http://www.debakeydepartmentofsurger...lty&fac_pk=183). I guess I better write up a list of questions for her. It seems little time, SOOOO many questions.

So basically it's function/live with the symptoms or surgery.

Colleen- i'm glad to hear that you're getting somewhere! Its a good feeling when all the phone calls pay off.

I'm glad that Dr. Kim has taken a more conservative approach so far- it worries me when dr's want to cut too quickly.

Deciding whether or not to have surgery or to try and live with it is one of the most difficult decisions. I've been up in the air for over a year- I'l set one deadline for myself, and then let it pass. I hope that you find your answer more quickly!

Sounds like it's better to take your time, if you can, and be sure than to jump into it. I assume if you're letting your deadlines pass that you're not at the point where it is unbearable yet. Personally, I pray I'm like you and have the opportunity to let my deadlines pass and that I don't have to make a quick decision

Glad that it seems like you have finally found the "right team"

Well, my hubby was NOT impressed with the vascular surgeon. He hasn't met the neurosurgeon, but that was the vascular surgeon the neurosurgeon recommended.

I hate this not knowing who to go to or exactly what you have.... vascular, no neurological, no vascular, no neurological, no vascular, no everyone has their pulse cut off if they put their arm up, no they don't, yes they do, no...yes......... AUGH!

I've only been dealing with this "officially" for 3 months now... I really feel for everyone here who has had to deal with this garbage for years. I really want to just ignore this whole thing and pretend it doesn't exist, except then I'd run out of meds which is probably the only thing keeping me functional at work