Thirty-year experience of transaxillary resection of first rib for thoracic outlet syndrome

Systematic review of intermediate and long-term results of thoracic outlet decompression

Thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) consists of a group of disorders resulting from compression of the neurovascular bundle exiting through the thoracic outlet. TOS can be classified as follows based on the etiology of the pathophysiology: neurogenic TOS, venous TOS, arterial TOS, and mixed TOS. The constellation of symptoms a patient may experience varies, depending on the structures involved. Due to the wide range of etiologies and presenting symptoms, treatments for TOS also differ. Furthermore, most studies focus on the perioperative and short-term outcomes after surgical decompression for TOS. This systematic review aimed to provide a pooled analysis of studies to better understand the intermediate and long-term outcomes of surgical decompression for TOS. We conducted a systematic literature search in the Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, and Google Scholar databases for studies that analyzed long-term outcomes after surgical decompression for TOS. The inclusion period was from January 2015 to May 2023. The primary outcome was postoperative QuickDASH Outcome Measure scores. A total of 16 studies were included in the final analysis. The differences between postoperative and preoperative QuickDASH Outcome Measure scores were calculated, when possible, and there was a mean overall difference of 33.5 points (95% CI, 25.2-41.8; P = .001) after surgical decompression. There was a higher proportion of excellent outcomes reported for patients undergoing intervention for arterial and mixed TOS etiologies, whereas those with venous and neurogenic etiologies had the lowest proportion of excellent outcomes reported. Patients with neurogenic TOS had the highest proportion of poor outcomes reported. In conclusion, surgical decompression for TOS has favorable long-term outcomes, especially in patients with arterial and mixed etiologies.

[Please Don't Forget the Neurogenic Thoracic Outlet Syndrome]

Please Don't Forget the Neurogenic Thoracic Outlet Syndrome Abstract. We report the case of a 52-year-old patient who was treated for years for headaches, pain in the neck and arms, and sweating. Despite various therapeutic approaches there was no improvement in the symptoms. Further investigations showed a bilateral thoracic outlet syndrome in the status after multiple bilateral rib fractures after a fall from a window at the age of 18. After the operation of a bilateral thoracic outlet syndrome, the headache disappeared almost completely and there was no more sweating.

Thoracic Outlet Syndrome in Major League Baseball Pitchers: Return to Sport and Performance Metrics After Rib Resection

Background:

Thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) is a rare injury that affects Major League Baseball (MLB) pitchers and is often corrected with surgical resection of the first rib. There are limited return-to-play (RTP) data for this surgery in MLB pitchers.

Hypothesis:

It was hypothesized that MLB pitchers who undergo first rib resection for TOS will show (1) a high rate of RTP, (2) no difference in postoperative career length compared with controls, (3) no difference in pre- and postoperative performance, and (4) no difference in postoperative performance compared with controls.

Study Design:

Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

This retrospective cohort study evaluated MLB pitchers with neurogenic or vascular TOS who underwent rib resection surgery between January 1, 2001, and December 31, 2019. Players were identified through public injury reports from press releases, the MLB website, MLB team injury reports, and blogs. A demographics- and performance-matched control group was generated for comparison. Each player in the control group was given an index year that corresponded to the surgery year of the case group. Performance data included innings pitched (IP), games played (GP), earned run average (ERA), complete GP, shutouts, saves, hits, runs, home runs (HR), walks, strikeouts (K), walks plus hits per IP (WHIP), and earned runs (ER).

Results:

We identified 26 MLB pitchers who underwent rib resection for neurogenic or vascular TOS; 21 players (81%) had a successful RTP. Pitchers were 30 ± 3.6 years old at the time of surgery and had played 6.2 ± 3.5 seasons before undergoing surgery. Average postoperative career length was 3.1 ± 2.0 seasons, with an average time from surgery to RTP being 10 ± 4.7 months. Pitchers who RTP showed no significant differences in performance metrics compared with controls. Players pitch 0.94 (P < .05) more IP/GP in the season directly following RTP compared with the season before surgical intervention.

Conclusion:

MLB pitchers undergoing rib resection for TOS demonstrated (1) high RTP rates following rib resection, (2) no difference in postoperative career length compared with controls, (3) improvement in postoperative performance, and (4) no difference in postoperative performance compared with controls.

Diagnostic and Therapeutic Management of the Thoracic Outlet Syndrome. Review of the Literature and Report of an Italian Experience

The Thoracic Outlet Syndrome is a clinical potentially disabling condition characterized by a group of upper extremity signs and symptoms due to the compression of the neurovascular bundle passing through the thoracic outlet region. Because of the non-specific nature of signs and symptoms, to the lack of a consensus for the objective diagnosis, and to the wide range of etiologies, the actual figure is still a matter of debate among experts. We aimed to summarize the current evidence about the pathophysiology, the diagnosis and the treatment of the thoracic outlet syndrome, and to report a retrospective analysis on 324 patients followed for 5 years at the Padua University Hospital and at the Naples Fatebenefratelli Hospital in Italy, to verify the effectiveness of a specific rehabilitation program for the syndrome and to evaluate if physical therapy could relieve symptoms in these patients.

Upper limb gangrene due to a subclavian arterial thrombosis associated with thoracic outlet syndrome following cervical spondylotic amyotrophy

Thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) refers to an abnormal compression of the subclavian vessels and the brachial plexus at the base of the neck or thoracic outlet. The authors described a novel case of a 66-year-old male with arterial TOS and unilateral upper rib dysplasia following cervical spine disease. Owing to the comorbidity of cervical spondylotic amyotrophy and a history of sloping shoulder due to rib dysplasia, TOS occurred, which subsequently led to subclavian arterial thrombosis and eventually resulted in the gangrene of the hand. Thrombectomy and surgical resection of the first and second ribs avoided the progression of further neurovascular disorder. When treating a cervical spondylotic patient, concurrent TOS can be obscured by symptoms caused by cervical lesions, leading to difficulty in identifying the origin of these neurovascular findings. The possibility of subsequent thromboembolic events based on TOS should be considered, especially in cases with dysplasia of the upper ribs.

Jury verdicts, outcomes, and tort reform features of malpractice cases involving thoracic outlet syndrome

OBJECTIVE/BACKGROUND

Thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) is most often referred to vascular surgeons. However, there is a lack of understanding of the malpractice cases involving TOS. The goal of this study is to better understand the medicolegal landscape related to the care of TOS.

METHODS

The Westlaw Edge AI-powered proprietary system was retrospectively reviewed for malpractice cases involving TOS. A Boolean search strategy was used to identify target cases under the case category of "Jury Verdicts & Settlements" for all state and federal jurisdictions from 1970 to September 2020. The settled case was described but not included in the statistical analysis. Descriptive statistics were used to report our findings, and when appropriate. The P ≤ .05 decision rule was established a priori as the null hypothesis rejection criterion to determine associations between jury verdicts outcomes and state's tort reform status.

RESULTS

In this study, 39 cases were identified and met the study's inclusion criteria from the entire Westlaw Edge database. Among plaintiffs who disclosed age and/or gender, median age was 35.0 years with a female majority (67.6%). Cases involving TOS were noted to be steadily decreasing since the mid-1990s. The cases were unevenly spread across 18 states, with the highest number of cases (14, 35.9%) from California and the second highest (4, 10.3%) from Pennsylvania. A similar uneven distribution was seen among U.S. census regions, in which the West had the highest cases (39.5%). The study revealed that more cases were brought to trials in tort reform states (26, 68.4%) than in non-tort reform states (12, 31.6%). A total of 24 of 39 (61.5%) plaintiffs had one specific claim, which resulted in their economic and noneconomic damages. Negligent operation and treatment complication represented an overwhelming majority of claims brought by 38 of 39 plaintiffs (97.4%). Misdiagnosis and lack of informed consent were both brought nine times (23.1%) by the group. Intraoperative nerve injury (20 patients, 51.3%) was the most commonly reported complication. Excluding one case with a settlement of $965,000, 30 of 38 (78.9%) cases went to trials and received defense verdicts. Eight cases (20.5%) were found in favor of plaintiffs with a median payout of $725,581.

CONCLUSIONS

This study highlighted higher than average payouts to plaintiffs and risk factors that may result in malpractice lawsuits for surgeons undertaking TOS treatment. Future studies are needed to further clarify the relationships between tort reform and outcomes of malpractice cases involving TOS.

Thoracic Outlet Syndrome: A Narrative Review

Thoracic outlet syndrome comprises a group of disorders that result in compression of the brachial plexus and subclavian vessels exiting the thoracic outlet. Symptoms include pain, paresthesia, pallor, and weakness depending upon the compromised structures. While consensus in diagnostic criteria has not yet been established, a thorough patient history, physical exam, and appropriate imaging studies are helpful in diagnosis. General first-line therapy for thoracic outlet syndrome is a conservative treatment, and may include physical therapy, lifestyle modifications, NSAIDs, and injection therapy of botulinum toxin A or steroids. Patients who have failed conservative therapy are considered for surgical decompression. This article aims to review the epidemiology, etiology, relevant anatomy, clinical presentations, diagnosis, and management of thoracic outlet syndrome.

Externally Supported Extra-anatomical Venous Bypass to Treat Upper Limb Ischemia with Shoulder Prosthetic Infection

To report a case of acute arm ischemia and prosthetic shoulder infection treated by extra-anatomical great saphenous vein graft with external vascular scaffolding. A 65 year-old man with multiple surgical interventions for soft tissue sarcoma of the right shoulder, local radiotherapy with residual brachial plexus neuropraxia, was referred to our attention for signs of arm ischemia. Two weeks before, the patient was submitted to prosthetic shoulder replacement complicated with prosthetic infection. Considering the mechanism of vascular injury, an open surgical revascularization was planned with a deliberate avoidance of the natural anatomic pathway to reduce the risk of graft infection. Consequently, after the complete removal of infected shoulder prosthesis and placement of antibiotic spacer, an axillarbrachial artery bypass using great saphenous vein was performed using a new braided cobalt chrome kink resistant external vascular support to prevent compression, also considering the extra-anatomical position of the graft. At 12 months' follow-up, patient was in good clinical condition with complete resolution of arm ischemia; computed tomographic angiography and duplex scan revealed patency of the graft with excellent distal perfusion. The new external vascular support seems to be useful and feasible for preventing compression of extra-anatomical venous bypass.