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Find a Surgeon
In general, TOS specialist surgeons are in short supply and hard to come by no matter where you are located. The United States seems to have the most available options in this regard particularly with respect to surgeons running high volume centers dedicated solely to TOS. There is no getting around the fact that surgery for any type of TOS is extremely complicated and takes place in a very complex area of the body where several vital structures are all packed tightly together in a very small space. With a surgeon who is not experienced in TOS surgery, damage to vital vessels and to nerves that serve the arm and hand can occur and can be devastating. Therefore, of the surgeons available to any patient, it is recommended to choose the surgeon who has the highest level of TOS experience possible. There are very few dedicated TOS centers in the United States and even fewer throughout the rest of the world. Because of this, many patients must travel to other states or other countries for experienced care. However, choosing a highly experienced TOS surgeon gives the patient the highest chance for a successful outcome and the lowest chance for serious complications. Under these circumstances, TOS surgery can be very safe and successful.
The tabs below will lead to surgeon lists for the described geographic location. These lists are not intended to be certified endorsements of the surgeons listed but rather are intended to assist patients in finding providers potentially knowledgeable in TOS. Knowledge and experience vary widely depending on the surgeon. The names on the list were gathered from a combination of patient experiences, identifiable TOS-specific training a particular surgeon may have received, and public endorsements by the surgeons themselves of specializing in or having an interest in TOS. It is highly recommended that, when making a choice of surgeon, each patient does his or her own due diligence research which can include, but is not limited to, internet research, searching and posting in the various social media support groups to obtain other patients’ experiences with any particular surgeon, and of course, interviewing the surgeons themselves.
High Volume TOS Centers
Dean Donahue, M.D.
Massachusetts General Hospital
Division of Thoracic Surgery
55 Fruit Street, Founders 7
Boston, MA 02114
Phone: (617) 724-0969
Robert W. Thompson, M.D.
Center for Thoracic Outlet Syndrome
Barnes-Jewish Hospital
Old Maternity Building, 5th Floor
St Louis, MO 63110
Phone: (314) 362-7410
Gregory J. Pearl, M.D.
Texas Vascular Associates
621 North Hall St., Ste. 100
Dallas, TX, 75226
Phone: (214) 821-9600
Ying Wei Lum, M.D.
Thoracic Outlet Syndrome Clinic
Johns Hopkins
600 N. Wolfe Street, Halsted
Baltimore, MD 21287
Phone: (410) 955-5165
Hugh Gelabert, M.D.
UCLA Gonda Vascular Center
200 UCLA Medical Plaza, Ste. 526
Los Angeles, California 90095
Phone: (310) 206-6294
Surgeons by State
*received surgical training at high volume center