Nurse: Thoracic Outlet Syndrome
Case Study: 51-year-old registered nurse; Thoracic outlet syndrome surgery
I’m a registered nurse and have worked in health care my entire career. Five years ago I suffered a work-related injury that resulted in nerve damage, causing ongoing neck and arm pain.
I tried everything to alleviate the pain: medication, physical therapy, acupuncture, similar conservative treatments – anything to avoid having surgery. But still, the pain did not go away.
I even went so far as to have cervical fusion surgery. Unfortunately, my pain continued after the surgery.
I kept working but with the ongoing pain, it got to the point where I couldn’t do my job any longer. I tried staying home for a couple of weeks, but when I returned to work, the pain still prevented me from accomplishing even basic duties.
The first doctor suggested by my insurance provider had diagnosed my condition correctly: herniated disks in my neck. But it turns out that I had another, less-often diagnosed condition: thoracic outlet syndrome.
A fellow nurse had been diagnosed with TOS, and suggested I read up on the subject. The more I learned, the more I felt that this may be the reason for my ongoing pain.
At this point, my condition had worsened to include chest pain and a nagging cough – the latter caused by the phrenic nerve (which stimulates one’s cough function) being aggravated.
My current physician suggested I see someone who specializes in thoracic outlet syndrome, and that’s when I discovered Dr. Aaron Filler and Image Based Surgery Center.
As we talked, I learned that he’s very meticulous at what he does, and plans his treatments in the same manner. I didn’t want to have another surgery, but after discussing the procedure with Dr. Filler, my concerns were addressed and we crafted the strategy. It turns out that during the surgery, Dr. Filler discovered a congenital abnormality where my nerve went through my muscle, rather than around it (as with most people), so he re-routed it at the same time. The entire process took place in Santa Monica at IBSC.
My recovery was great: almost immediately my chest pain vanished, as did my nagging cough. My neck and arm pain have also improved over time. Prior to Dr. Filler performing surgery, I was barely able to walk for exercise. Now, I can walk again and I feel great.
I would definitely recommend Dr. Aaron Filler and Image Based Surgery Center to friends and family.
Your safety is our primary concern at Image Based Surgery Center. That's why we only use MRI imaging for your procedures. No dangerous radiation from repeated CT scans or x-rays - only the 100% safe, completely comfortable Philips Panorama MRI for all your imaging requirements.
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