New here say a month. Post op TOS 28 days and prepping for Eagles on June 29th

[Tuesday]

I’m very new here and not sure how to post I joined right before TOS diagnosis and Eagles syndrome in 2 weeks. This is after 2 years of multiple wrong diagnosis after an accidental choking injury ( whiplash) as an ER RN. I got the Eagles diagnosis 2 weeks after Thoracic Outlet Syndrome ( TOS). Lots to take in. Thank you to the moderators for reaching out. I’m 4 weeks post op TOS. Major complications. Knicked my thoracic duct bc there was so much scar tissue from my injury. Went home with a JP or Jackson Pratt drain to drain 2/3 of my toxins in my body for weeks. No fat diet for one month. I’m day 28. One ER visit of chest pain bc the drain dislodged. Guys, I’m an ICU cardiac and ER RN 25 years and I have a Physician Assistant degree. This was no joke. Just saw ENT surgeon for Eagles preop today in person not online. He is the only MD in SC who does Eagles surgery. So we have his info up to date. He does not just do oral surgery. He is trained at and has done both. He finds patients do better post op with oral. I let him know what this site says about him. 100% trust his expertise. He did the preop now as high risk after TOS surgery. Still having pain and choking feeling in left neck after 1 month post TOS so will pursue Eagles. I have it on both sides but only on symptoms of left side where I was choked. Will keep y’all updated.

[Isaiah_40_31]

Hi @Tuesday,

You did a great job posting so it looks like you have it down. I’m sorry for what you’ve been through. It’s hard being in the medical profession & knowing how things should be done but not having the privilege of experiencing a “perfect” surgery yourself. As you know, any surgeon can experience unexpected setbacks when doing a surgery that seems straightforward. It’s hard to know what will be encountered in any surgery until the incision is made & the “inner workings” of the body become visible. I hope your recovery from the TOS surgery continues to progress. What a difficult time this has been for you!

Are you seeing Dr. Lentsch for your surgery? It looks like the last posts we had about him were 2 years ago. Our members who had him do their surgeries seem to have had good outcomes. We are biased toward the external surgical approach for several reasons:

1. The nerves, vascular tissues, styloids & stylohyoid ligaments can be visualized & monitored to reduce the chance of injury
2. Better styloid access so more of it can be removed
3. Lower rate of post op infection
4. Slightly quicker post op recovery

The cons we see with intraoral surgery are

1. The nerves, vascular tissues & styloids are not visible. Calcified stylohyoid ligaments can’t be removed (though we had one member who said she did have hers removed intraorally).
2. Styloids can’t be removed to the skull base so more is often left behind which can be problematic for some people
3. Higher risk of post op infection
4. More painful & slower recovery

I am not a doctor but base my opinion on the several hundred members on our forum & their experiences w/ ES surgery. We have many members who’ve had successful intraoral ES surgeries but also a number who have not because the styloids weren’t shortened enough. In the hands of an experienced surgeon such as Dr. Lentsch, either approach should give you relief of your symptoms. Giving him your vote of confidence & accepting his opinion as to what is best is the best approach for sure.

The pain & choking feeling you have in your neck could absolutely be from ES as those are common symptoms. I don’t know if you’ve looked at the detailed posts Jules made about ES symptoms but in case you haven’t read them here are the links. There are many more discussions on this topic which you can find by clicking on the magnifying glass icon & typing “symptoms” in the search box.

ES Information: Common Symptoms And Possible Explanations For Them

ES Information: Common Symptoms And Possible Explanations For Their Causes: Disclaimer: These answers to common questions were put together for new members to gain a head start in finding information about Eagle Syndrome; to give you confidence to discuss issues with your medical team and to encourage you to research issues further for yourselves. It was compiled by a volunteer Moderator, who does not claim to be a medical professional, merely an informed observer and patient! The sources used…

ES Information: Background, Anatomy, Styloid Length, Angulation, Classic and Vascular

Eagle Syndrome Information: Background- Including Anatomy, Classic or Vascular?, Length Vs Angulation: Disclaimer: These answers to common questions were put together for new members to gain a head start in finding information about Eagle Syndrome; to give you confidence to discuss issues with your medical team and to encourage you to research issues further for yourselves. It was compiled by a volunteer Moderator, who does not claim to be a medical professional, merely an informed observer and…

[Tuesday]

Thank you so much! Trust me my TOS surgeon is wonderful and he said it was the worst he had ever seen. I’m improving greatly. I’m also very impressed with Dr. Lentsch. My neighbor of a year is his fellow but she is leaving next month. I’m so surprised at how much knowledge is in this group and very grateful to have found you!

[Jules]

Sounds like you’ve been through the mill with your surgery; it seems quite soon to be having another one, will it be done shortly? But glad that you’re improving…Lots of info you can search for about what to expect after surgery in the past discussions if you’ve not seen it already.

[Tuesday]

Surgery on the 29th is now postponed till I’m cleared with Cardiology. I’m doing much better even today. I’m going to check through as much as I can on here now that I’m out of so much pain. Thank you all on here for what you contribute!