If you have to make a decision on this, you certainly have a difficult decision to make. Lindgren KA Rehabilitation Clinic, Kuopio University Hospital, Finland. The incidence of TOS is high in the United States, essentially unknown in Australia and seldom diagnosed in Great Britain. The reasons for this huge variation are considered to be related to difficulties in patient selection, variable examination procedures, operative techniques and a lack of proper follow-up. The goal of this review is to bring forth the diverging results after first rib resection for TOS and to pinpoint the importance of further studies concerning the possible functional disturbance of the thoracic outlet in these patients.
Conservatism is encouraged.
Cherington M, Cherington C Department of Neurology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Denver. In spite of the increasing skepticism voiced in the medical literature, many patients continue to be diagnosed as having TOS and treated surgically. Colorado is one of the leading states where TOS surgery is performed. We have examined the 1989 data as collected by the Colorado Hospital Association and have defined a patient profile and reimbursement pattern. Medicaid patients almost never undergo surgery.