The Surgical Group of Southwest Michigan
269.381.4577, or Toll-Free at 1.800.211.0666
Medical Specialties Building
1535 Gull Road, Suite 020
Kalamazoo, MI 49048
Overuse of the upper extremities can cause symptoms including pain, numbness, tingling, and loss of strength in the arms, hands and shoulders. This condition is known as thoracic outlet syndrome, and is caused by pinching of the nerves or bloods vessels at the top of the arms. This can affect one or both of your arms.
You may notice these symptoms when working overhead, with the arms outstretched, or when performing repetitive motions with the hands and arms. If your job requires this type of work, and you think you have thoracic outlet syndrome, you should report this to your employer before seeking medical treatment.
Testing can be performed to determine whether or not you have thoracic outlet syndrome. If that testing is positive, you will be started on a physical therapy program. If your symptoms are relieved with therapy, no surgery will be recommended.
If the physical therapy fails to help you, surgery will then be considered. Since the condition is caused by blood flow to the arm being shut off, surgery is done to re-open that flow. This is done by removing the first rib from the side that is affected by thoracic outlet syndrome. If both arms are affected, you will requires two surgeries.
Please feel free to contact our office with any questions or concerns you may have.
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vascular Laboratory
Accredited by the Intersocietal Commission for the Accreditation of Vascular Laboratories (ICAVL), our Vascular Laboratory is located within our office in Suite 020 of the Medical Specialties Building. We perform carotid artery evaluation, arterial and venous evaluation of upper and lower extremities, thoracic outlet evaluation, abdominal aortic evaluation and various general ultrasound and studies.
Our certified vascular laboratory offers screening of carotid arteries, abdominal aorta and peripheral arteries at nominal cost. All three exams take less than 20 minutes and results are given to the patient and sent to the primary care physician upon request.