Transaxillary resection of the first rib in the treatment of thoracic outlet syndrome

Abstract

Neurovascular compression in thoracic outlel syndrome (TOS) causes many symptoms such as forearm pain, shoulder pain, head and neck pain weakness numbness laziness. The basic complaint of the patients were basically upper extremity pain. These symptoms were because of mostly the compression of the brachial plexus and rarely the vascular structures. Main anatomic structure causing compression of the neurovasculer structures is the 1 st rib and fibromuscular bundles to these structures have to be resected for decompression. Treatment of TOS is generally conservative. Patienls who failed to heal after conservative treatment underwent operative treatment. 7 patients (6 female, 1 male) 23-35 years old were operated for TOS by transaxillary 1 st rib resection. The follow-up period was 6-18 months. We found our results by resection of the 1 st rib by transaxillary approach is satisfactory and curative.