Cervical Rib Surgery

Thank you, I've been taking co-codamol, but can only take for 3 days at a time. I was told there was a 75% chance that the symptoms will still be there, the thing I don't want is to have paralysis in my arm after or more symptoms. I've been living like it for 2 years with TOS, but I'm moving in with partner on Friday and if I have op he will have to do everything for me. How long were you off work for as my rent is more than SSP and can't afford to live on that for 2 months? And how long were you in hospital for and which one ?

Sorry I forgot to add physiotherapy never helped me but they swear it helped others. I was always told I wasn't patient lol. Even after the op they said I've come a long way never seen results like it before I'm not patient though it ruined my life. I was angry. Tablets never took my pain away. Well my surgeon done 180 + of them and told me out of that number 1 was worse, 5 said nothing really changed the rest noticed change I was the best result let's just say that. I'm truely grateful. I was in hospital for 5 days I couldn't walk was so dizzy. Then got back to my house, my mother had to come over cook for me ect for a month. I was a tree surgeon so heavy labour I couldn't go back to it. Depends what your job is really. Like sitting at a desk I suppose I could of gone back within 3 months. But still with symptoms at 7 months my symptoms went out of no where. I had the operation in morriston hospital in wales

I woke at a car dealership so may have to ask to go on the phones and just answer them all day, it's around 20-30 mins from home to hospital, I did say that physio may not help, and she said probably not, but the only way to find out if my symptoms are caused by the rib is to have surgery, she also mentioned most people have a punctured lung/ have to have chest drain

Yeah that should be fine. It was just my dizziness months after I couldn't operate the chainsaw in that state ect. I think you should be okay. Yeah they told me that also, untill I'm basically cut open they dunno if it is this causing it. But it obviously was. They go on symptoms. It's possible to have a punctured lung. I did not. It's rare. I had a tube under my arm pit into the neck area draining it for a day just the gunk ect that's normal. Everything went smooth. I was just daized for a good two months I couldn't go out I would faint. That was the only bad part it's a brutal op I won't lie they make it sound like it isn't but it battered my body. Everyone's different. I'm now never been happier

Do you reckon it's worth having it done ?

Yeah affecting normal things.I couldn't sleep with it. Now I sleep like a baby. I would drive and it affected me to. It was my terrible discomfort daily I had severe symptoms it would not shift. Throughout the years mine worsened they hadn't heard of such bad symptoms before me, that's why they told me they believe it would work for me if your really symptomatic like me I'd have it done in a heart beat. Just make sure to ask how many ops of this type have they done it's got to be quit high my guy done 180 when he operated on me I was like his 200'th so. I'd say it needs to be up there.

Hi Nicole I had my cervical rib removed in 2012. Started the discussion back then. I was living with TOS for a number of years. I had physio for 6 months it helped at first then was no good. My surgeon told me the op was only done a couple of times a year an gave me all the risks involved. The only thing you can do is work out what is best for you. I couldn't continue they way I was it was compressing the sorts so lived with the risk of a blood clot, the blood flow to my arm was reduced so muscle wasted in my arm. I realised it was only going to get worse. I was lucky all went well my hand was warm straight after the op, it had been cold for years. I was out of hospital the same day, with limited use of the arm because of the healing, I was signed off work for 6 weeks, 4 years on and all ok just the occasional bad day.