Yes, my suggestion, whether right or wrong, is that perhaps that swelling you’re feeling is your jugular vein. Because it’s compressed up close to your skull base then down at your first rib, it makes sense that the section in the middle would be larger/more swollen than normal. If you’ve had a CT scan w/ contrast, & if that situation exists, it should be obvious via a 3D image.
Dr. Hepworth (Denver) is well versed w/ TOS & IJV compressions as is Dr. Aghayev (Turkey). If you want a reasonably quick answer about the swelling potentially having a vascular relationship, Dr. Aghayev is known to provide video consults fairly soon after contacting him whereas, I recall someone saying Dr. Hepworth is now booking initial consults in October. Dr. Hepworth has suggested that w/ multiple compressions, it’s best to start at the top & work down.
You’ve sure done what you can to prevent surgery for your TOS. I’m glad the modalities you’ve tried have been successful so far!
•Dr. Edward Hepworth, Denver Sinus Care, 3150 E 3rd Ave, Denver, CO 80206 (720) 899-9489, FAX (720) 953-5151, email: info@denversinuscare.com or for initial consults - kcurry@denversinuscare.com
•Dr. Kamran Aghayev - https://kamranaghayev.com
Link to set up a consult: Get Expert Neurosurgeon Consultation & Second Opinion Online