Hi Shelly,

thanks for all your info....

Who is your Doc

Did they tell you you needed to have your 1st rib removed during any of your visits....if so how did come to this surgery?

How did get diag with TOS

Thanks for your time,
Ann

Hi all,

Sorry it has taken me a day to reply work is just crazy. I work for an ad agency and yesterday we opened Rocky Balboa so it's been busy.

Let's for the questions..

Jo55

I think I am doing well post op. 7 days now. Encountered mostly swelling problems which make the area stiff and hard to move. But I have been doing hyperbaric treatments to help all of that and it does. Stitaches should dissolve by next week. The neuro said 3 months for healing and before they do imaging again (MR neurography) but I am hoping to be overachiever girl. Next check up is on 1/3 so we will see how I am doing then.

Ann

My doc was Dr. Aaron Filler. It was my orthopedist that first diagnosed me. After that I went from doc to doc and I felt like no one was able to help me. Then I found Dr. Collins at UCLA and did his imaging which comfirmed ortho dx. Went to neuro Dr. Saxton which Dr. Collins reco'd. She sent me to PT with Joyce Wilkinson who is amazing. I stuck with PT for 9 months, more than allowed. I was struggling. What changed it a bit and gave me advantage was Lyrica which clamed the irritated nerves in the brachial plexus down enough for PT to work even better. Then I went for 6 weeks of working with PT and trainer before surgery.

I went to see Dr. Ahn at UCLA. AHn said he would take 1st rib out and was very smug and condescending. I did not like him. And the idea of removing 1st rib seemed extreme for me. So I kept doing PT which inthe end think improved my TOS so it was more neuro than vascular.

I kept doing research and came across Dr. Filler. His website is www.nervemed.com. There are 5 kinds of TOS according to him and mine was a scalene problem. We did his special imaging and it showed exactly wher the problem was with the nerves. Dr. Filler then did two TOS injections which helped but was not the end answer. So I decided to do his surgery which was better than 1st rib and less invasive. I felt very at peace with decision of surgery with him. He is super smart which you want your neuro to be.

Hope that helps.

Talk to you all later.

Shelley