International angiology : a journal of the International Union of Angiology
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Multicenter Study
Thirty-year experience of transaxillary resection of first rib for thoracic outlet syndrome.
Thoracic outlet syndrome is an important clinical entity, which usually affects young patients and working cohort, causing disability if unrecognized and untreated. Although treatment is commonly conservative, in patients with more severe disease, surgical treatment is often required for decompression. Purpose of this paper was to evaluate the surgical and clinical outcomes of patients who underwent first rib resection through transaxillary approach for thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) during a period of 30 years. ⋯ In our experience first rib resection through the transaxillary approach is a safe and feasible procedure associated with an acceptable rate of peri-operative morbidity and satisfactory long-term relief of symptoms.