ONE YEAR Update after TOS Surgery! Was it worth it?
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- čas přidán 28. 07. 2024
- It's now been one year since I had rib resection surgery for treatment of Thoracic Outlet Syndrome....so I know you're wondering: Was the surgery worth it? Check out the video!
Thank you to everyone who has subscribed to the channel. Please like, share, and comment if you have any questions/comments! I'll make sure to respond as quickly as possible :)
First 24 Hours After TOS Surgery: • First 24 Hours After S...
1st Week After TOS Surgery: • Week 1 after Rib Resec...
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Check out my music channel featuring my latest single: • Lugar Secreto - Christ...
Thank you for hope and the details you shared so thoroughly , truly amazing and helps reduce my enormous fear of the procedure
your play by play give recovery timeline helps me such enormous encouragement and seeing your improve functioning give me hope that I will regain functioning too. I hope to be able getting back to ADL’s and exercise again
Thank you! What you share in your videos has been very helpful! Many blessings and I hope your healing journey has continued. It can take years for nerves to heal. Peace!
Slowly but surely!
Thank you for sharing your story. When your TOS was bad pre surgery
Was as it hard to breathe
Mine makes my heart shoot up and lose my breath
Waiting to see vascular surgeon still ....delayed 15 mos already from covid. Your story give me hope .. thanks for sharing and being venerable to talk about it at length
Sending gratitude 🙏
I didn’t have difficulty breathing until after surgery, but I noticed that when I was about to get really bad pain, I would get very nauseous. It may not be a direct link, but it was the signal that I needed to stop what I was doing before it got worse
I can't afford a specialist I wish I could but I was doing physical therapy when my doctor got my TOS diagnosis from another state and send me straight to see the surgery clinic by next week!! It scares me to know what see seen for her to refer me so quickly. Thank you for your videos because like everyone else watching your videos I'm scared too and you are very informative and brave especially for having to have gone through this during the pandemic ❤️ so proud of you and doing what your doing to let us know Thank you !!
I'm glad these videos have helped!
I think you're so very generous to have shared alll of your process- it has helped me. My surgery was yesterday and I'm doing OK. I know road is long, but I appreciate your take and exercises and tips- they have all helped.
I’m so glad it’s helped you! I hope you have a quick recovery! I’m not sure if the pain is starting to creep in by now-that’s normal-but know it Will pass. You’ve got this. 😊
How are you doing now? This video gives me a lot of pause: czcams.com/video/_AkXMlx8mdI/video.html
I had surgery, was 28 male, weight lifting, at the time. It has destroyed near every aspect of my life since, and believe me things were not great before my surgery. Surgery went very poorly. I would recommend everyone avoid the clavicular approach especially if it’s anything involving scalene removal. The scarring in my neck is far worse than anything before and they are concerned my SCM has been damaged in the process or is just bearing an extreme load. I have a very marked rope of scarring in my neck now that prohibits me from putting my neck at extension or lowering my clavicle. I’ve not been able to hang my surgical side arm at my side for years now.
I’ve done 3 years of PT/OT since surgery. Acupuncture. Chiro. Lots of breathing work … they don’t tell you the impact on breathing before hand and I’m glad you commented on that. I’ve even gone the pain clinic route and they have said this is an issue beyond what they can assist.
On top of everything the surgeon has closed many doors towards outside intervention. Insurance is closing the rest.
I don’t want to scare anyone but I would be remiss not to share how much this has devastated my life, and how many doors this can close.
My overall message would be if you are someone who is more inclined to push too much, and this is exacerbating your symptom find a PT who truly understands that and be prepared to invest years in altering your lifestyle. Your physical therapist matters soooooo much. I worked with many before surgery that were great people, but found in reality we were making things worse.
Post surgically it’s been 3 years of further PT anyways, only now with irreversible surgical scarring and a neck without scalenes trying it’s very best every day to get by.
I pray for all of you.
And we're praying for you 🙏
I had mine a month ago. I started having the arm and hand pain again in the last few days. I SO hope it goes away! I’ve watched all your videos and they are very encouraging. I made one of my experience as well to document my recovery. It’s been one month today. Thank you for your videos!
I think it makes a difference in how long you had the pain prior to surgery as well. It was over 2 years since my initial issue, so I’m sure the process will take time. I’m hoping your recovery is much quicker! One suggestion: if it’s bothering you, talk to your doctor about it. There are options!
And awesome that you’re documenting the process! When I get down about my situation, it helps that I can go back and look at the progress! Good luck to you!
How are you doing now?
@@christinemcdonald8257 me? I’m doing MUCH better. It was just a longer healing time then what I anticipated. I still on occasion get nerve pain in my pinky and ring finger. But overall it’s a lot better.
Hey it's been 2 years, how are you doing now? @@jcchaffin1
Hi. Thank you for your videos. You're a great communicator. I have gone four and a half years going to different doctors, getting lots of tests, going to pain management, medications, PT, chiropractors, acupuncture, etc., with no diagnosis. But I persisted! Finally I had X-rays done when I was finally able to get referred to an orthopedist. This radiologist mentioned an "incidental note of bilateral cervical ribs." What?! When I looked up cervical ribs, thoracic outlet was the number one problem related to them. I have every symptom listed. So much pain and time wasted if someone had only seen and mentioned those cervical ribs. They're so big I can even see bumps from the outside now. I guess they grow I don't know. but those bumps were not there in the front of my neck before. so the orthopedist wouldn't take my case but referred me to a neurosurgeon. I finally have an appointment with him in about 3 weeks. From my research, I think I have neurogenic tos, arterial tos, and pectoralis minor syndrome. It all makes sense now. Thank you for documenting what you have been through. I have taken notes from each of your videos and I'm sure I will be better prepared when and if surgery is performed. Good luck to you in the future. Wish me luck! (I wish I could hear you sing.)
Awww, thank you 😊 it stinks that it took so long to get a diagnosis, but I’m glad you’re on your way to some type of resolution! I’m currently doing chiropractic and acupuncture work post-surgery, so don’t rule those out as options if you do go down the surgical route. You want to make sure you have someone that’s done this kind of surgery because it’s not an easy one. I think mine took 6+ hours. If you have any other questions, feel free to let me know! As for singing, I have another CZcams channel for that 😊 under Christine Philip
Wow I feel your pain. Just hang in there and understand that you are just learning something here and your soul is much more grandeur than anything. Sometimes the pain is unbearable with these things and you may have an inkling to give up but never do it. As far as surgeries go, one guy once told me you were created from within and you grew from within. External stretching was never needed to make you a big tall human being today. So if we are injured, we must find a way to heal from within. After all, the manufacturer of this body is not a surgeon. I know you already had the surgery but please don’t get another transection
I agree with the holistic approach to things as well. Chronic pain can also be caused by past trauma, and without healing from the inside, you won't heal physically. There's power to that :)
May I say thank you for documenting your story, as it has been most helpful to me in my own journey. I had my frr (left side) 1 week ago today. I have watched all of your videos, and it has encouraged me greatly. Might I ask what your 2nd and third weeks of post-surgery were like, and more specifically, did you experience a reduction in pain levels?
I’m so glad they’ve helped you through your own process!! 2nd week was still rough, but I stopped using the narcotic pain reliever (oxycodone) and relies on ibuprofen and Tylenol. I still couldn’t take a full, deep, diaphragmatic breath without pain, though. I think I referred to some pain management and tools that helped me on my Week 2 video. Let me know if you have any other questions!
@@thoracicoutletsyndromether8930 Do you experience a drop in your o2 levels post-surgery? I am on week 2 and my o2 levels are still low (94-95%).
@@rickl8663 I wouldn't say they stayed on the lower side. I'm wondering if this is happening due to not being able to take deep diaphragmatic breaths. I did breathe very shallow during the first few weeks, but I don't recall measuring O2 sats. Then again, part of my recovery was starting to sing again, so I was implementing cyclical breathing and using that respiratory trainer to help strengthen them. If your O2 levels are remaining low, you may want to check out that respiratory trainer; I believe I put a link in the description of the video.
Hey it's been 2 years, how are you now? @@rickl8663
I have been trying to mentally prepare for what is to come and your videos have helped me so much. Mine is also on the left side as well and it's gotten pretty bad. Thank you for posting the whole process.
You’re so welcome. I’m glad I could help you while you’re working through this diagnosis. The treatment/surgery can seem daunting, but know that there are people who have made it out 😊 I’ll continue to share my story so you know what to expect!
@@thoracicoutletsyndromether8930 it's been a very slow painful process. Did you experience any tightness that ran down your whole arm into your hand?
@@beautifuldarkness956 I describe it more like an irritating pain, but in a sense, it was tight and I had a tendency to “guard” my arm and keep it close to my body
I think mine is more advanced since I realized I've been having ulnar nerve issues since I was a kid, not realizing that I was. So now I'm here experiencing my most recent issue, swelling, by the armpit and in my armpit. Currently awaiting a MRI of the brachial plexus before being sent out to a surgeon.
@@beautifuldarkness956 I hope they are able to identify and fix the issue as quickly as possible. I know the swelling is no fun!
What sub thoracic outlet condition(s) did were you diagnosed? Neurogenic, vascular, or arterial?
Thank you for all this, as someone suffering from TOS for 8 years i know how torturing syndrome it is. I had clicking in my throat when swallowing, tensions all over my head, constant neck tensions, irritated nerves in neck, back pain, numbness in hand, lost fine motor function, as a singer i lost all notes above passaggio. To be honest it has been a nightmare for me for very long time and not a single doctor could connect all these symptoms. Finally i got surgery 25 five years ago and on day one it fixed my swallowing issue (no idea how tbh). right now i am trying to recover but i think wound has not healed yet, my chest and shoulder is still numb and swollen inside. fine motor functions still not back. How long did it take you to fully see results of the surgery?
Oh my goodness! It’s good to know the perspective of this from another singer!
Making sure I understand, you suffered with TOS for 8 years, and 25 years ago you had the surgery?
To be honest, I haven’t had the full results (e.g. complete resolution of pain) yet after surgery. I had pain after surgery for a good 3-4 weeks, especially affecting my breathing. I am significantly better than I was before surgery, but 14 months after, I still have some symptoms. I should be making a video soon regarding what I’m currently doing...
@@thoracicoutletsyndromether8930 Ouch sorry, i had surgery 25 DAYS ago not years. MY whole neck was tense and it made swallowing, speaking and singing difficult, which is insane. Everybody told me TOS could not affect swallowing but here we are, surgery solved it. Not sure about my singing yet, i have not recovered fully so i am refraining from singing full on. Other than that i could not play piano or keyboard for long because my arm would get tired and i had lost fine motor function in my fingers, which is not back yet. My hand still gets tired pretty quickly :/ Overall, i can see surgery improved some thing little bit, but not sure what will be the final result.
@@zuraiashvili8647 wow, I hadn’t heard of the swallowing issue either, but I’m glad that is better! From my experience with singing, do try to do deep breathing exercises; some of our accessory muscles may have been affected with surgery, so it helps to build that process back up. I also got back with a vocal coach and within a short period of time (just to retrain), I got a lot of my upper register back. Piano can make my hand/arm irritated, but I’m hoping you get that fully resolved. You may also want to consider physical therapy so they can help strengthen the weaker side and give some stretches to prevent stiffness. Best of luck to you!
@@thoracicoutletsyndromether8930 I would love to learn more about your case as well, do you have facebook or instagram, whatsapp we can chat over?
Hey it's been 2 years, how hare you doing now?@@zuraiashvili8647
Thank you for your video I have been struggling with vascular thoracic outlet syndrome for 4 1/2 years, and I’m terrified of doing surgery. Did they go in from above or going through your armpit?
They went in through my armpit, and my scar is very minimal now 😊
Wow. 4 years? I was diagnosed a month ago and going in for surgery the first week of August. I have a subclavian vein issue and also need the rib resection. I’m told the surgery is absolutely necessary. Not looking forward to it but the risk long term is too great.
Thank you for your videos. Couple of questions. How did you land on being treated at Mayo so far from home? You mentioned pain coming back. What kind of pain is it? Is the nerve pain returning? Or is it muscular pain?
Hi there! I saw different specialists in my area who weren’t able to figure out what I had. We landed on TOS, and Mayo Clinic was recommended since they handle out-of-the ordinary situations. I went to their website and saw they had a clinic dedicated to it 😊 the pain that returned was mixed: muscle pain because
Of weakness due to compensation, and nerve pain when I used or irritated that nerve.
@@thoracicoutletsyndromether8930 thank you. I appreciate your feedback and the time you have put into these videos. I've been fortunate to have physicians/PT who knew of TOS, and am on my way with a local specialist towards further testing. We'll see...
@@debbiejames8294 I’m glass they’ve been helpful! I’m hoping you get the answers you need locally; it makes things sooooo much easier compared to traveling!
I have pectoral minor muscle syndrome and I possibly have TOS as well I think it would be very wise to see if you have the syndrome as well because it’s a muscle that’s really really strained and maybe after your surgery it strained more but it sits above the chest wall and can fuck with your breathing Which is the one symptom I’m dealing with that has not stopped a lot of chest pains and I can’t really move my upper body but I suggest meeting a doctor for that and a surgeon as well and they should be able to clean that up for you so you can be relieved of that pain especially when you’re trying to sing
I like to sing to
Thanks for bringing that up, I'll keep that in mind if it persists!
Hey there! How are you doing now? Have things improved?
Things have definitely improved! I've had to do some additional things for more pain resolution, but I'm definitely better than before surgery!
i am 1year post op and still have alot of pain. i also had the pec-minor release.
I can understand the frustration of pain after surgery 💕 what have you been trying for pain relief?
Breathing and posture patterns can cause TOS. MASTER breathing and posture
True! A lot of PT was trying to get me back into proper posture (instead of compensating positions)
I need to get my extra rib removed, but all surgeons go thru top of shoulder. I want under the arm, but none do this approach in my state. The dr say no difference, but it seems like you would cut more nerves and muscle thru the top of the shoulder. Confusing.
It could be a matter of preference. The choice made for transaxillary, in my case, was due to the more covert scar location and the surgeon he would collaborate with had done several of those surgeries before. I’m hoping you’re successful in finding the right surgeon for your case!
May I ask the name of surgeon who did the surgery to you at Mayo clinic. I am planning to go mayo clinic located rochester next month.
My main practitioner at the TOS clinic was Ryan Meverden, and my surgeon was Dr. Bernardo Mendes
I am so appreciated to you. Are you OK now? I actually diagnosed venous and artery TOS. It starts 3 years ago. I also hard to fined my disease. It took long time. The result showed aggrevation of vein compression and even subclavian artery indentations during arm raised position. I am scary to cut off the 1st rib. Are you feel any uncomfortable or side effect after surgery? I heard somebody couldn't hold his neck even 10min after surgery. Is it true? Thank you for your answer. You are so good person and communicator. I greatly thanks to you. You save many people life.
Also my blood flow is losing when I hold my arm up or spread to side. Even I couldn't wash my hair. I feel disabled person. I couldn't move what I want. I think i couldn't go back to my normal life. I only sleep 3 -4 hours during 3years. My pulse is disappeared any position. How do you think what is my condition?
Are you regret the surgery or feel satisfied after surgery? I am also wondering your blood flow come back normal?
@@laurenkim0321 My recovery has been slow, but there's been improvement since the surgery. Blood flow returned and my pulse did not disappear anymore when doing testing. It does feel disabling so I can empathize. I hope you get your answers.
@@thoracicoutletsyndromether8930 Thank you for your answer. It sounds good your blood flow turned normal.
Do you have any difficulties to move your body? I mean holding your neck and head without problem and walking, cooking, running and picking up something little high. I heard some people got disability to use hands because they got damaged brachial plexus nerve during the surgery. So
I am wondering your mobility of your hand and arm is normal.
Also do you remove scalene muscle and first rib together through the armpit? I have many questions but you are one of person of my hope. So I appreciate to you.
so chiros are not as notorious as they seem to be
Why they have a adds of this video only 165 subs
🤷🏽♀️
Did you ever experience severe exhaustion?
Oh boy, did I. Before surgery due to the chronic, severe pain, so my adrenals were wiped and I was just tired. After surgery, because of the shallow breathing (because of the pain), I would get winded really quickly. In the first month, I could maybe have a regular conversation for 5 minutes, then I’d have to sit down and rest.
That's a very good question and I hadn't addressed it in my comment prior. Yes. Fatigue really womps me some times, I do real well then I wake up the next day and want to go back to bed, that feeling often stays with me the whole day. I have come to expect it and in my research see that it is very common as the body as a whole, heals.
I view surgeons as cowboys and am surprised as it seems you haven't worked extensively with physiotherapy...the manipulations PLUS remedial exercises?
There are some good chiropracters, but I would say physiotherapy is where its at.
Best wishes.