Doctors will often remove the first rib under the clavicle to alleviate some of the pressure. Only after conservative management fails is surgery offered.īut when it comes to the rarer venous and arterial version of the disease, surgery is necessary. Instead, physical therapy is often recommended to relieve the pressure on the nerve in the neck as a first line therapy. In other words, in the case of the more common neurologic version of the disease, doctors don’t usually recommend surgery. “If you operate for pain, all you’re going to get back in return is pain.” “There’s an old saying in surgery,” Ali said. The result is called deep vein thrombosis, a condition where the clot forces the blood around the obstruction and swelling occurs. Vein clots can also be fatal if they travel to the lungs, but usually the damage is localized to the arm. “People can die from this in severe cases.” “People can lose fingers, hands and even arms,” Ali said. When the artery is compressed, an aneurysm – a ballooning of the artery – can appear as blood flow to the arm ratchets off. If left untreated, blood return from the arm can be disrupted permanently. Often the swelling is so severe, the patient can no longer move his or her arm. In the case of the vein, blood clots can develop. What happens there?īoth the venous and arterial versions of thoracic outlet syndrome can affect blood flow. Those conditions are more serious and usually require surgery. The other two – venous and arterial – occur when either the vein or artery becomes compressed. Eventually the disorder can become debilitating. As a result, people present with arm symptoms such as pain and numbness. Most people – as many as 90% of thoracic outlet syndrome patients, Ali said ― get the neurogenic version of the disease, where only the nerve plexus is pinched. “It comes in three flavors,” Castello Ramirez said. Everything becomes pinched, and that’s where the trouble starts. Or the space becomes insufficient when an athlete uses the muscles in the shoulder and neck frequently and they grow. In some people, that space doesn’t offer quite enough room for all three, Ali said. What is thoracic outlet syndrome?Īt the base of everyone’s neck, there’s space for a bundle of nerves, an artery and a vein. Maria Castello Ramirez – explain the illness, its warning signs and when you should seek help. Two surgeons from Penn State Heart and Vascular Institute – Dr. In an extreme case, you could lose an arm due to blood flow compromise. Some forms of thoracic outlet syndrome can cause permanent damage. The disorder can be misdiagnosed, which is particularly worrisome considering how high the stakes can be.
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Professional athletes – frequently Major League baseball pitchers like former New York Mets hurler Matt Harvey – are sometimes diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome.
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