Quality of Life of People with Thoracic Outlet Syndrome after Surgery

Abstract

Abstract Purpose To evaluate the quality of life of patients with neurogenic thoracic outlet syndrome (N-TOS) who underwent surgery via the supraclavicular approach. Method Sociodemographic and clinical data were collected, and an evaluation of the pain and quality of life of 29 patients was performed. Results The average age of the patients was 42 years, and most of them were female. All of them had one or more associated pathologies. They all worked in occupations that involved repetitive movement of the upper limbs. The evaluation of the degree of pain showed that the pain remains preponderant and incapacitating in the life of these individuals, who consequently enjoy a low quality of life. Conclusion These patients presented low quality of life, with persistent pain probably resulting from the associated pathologies, in addition to their psychosocial context. Thus, in order to treat the TOS, an intervention of a multidisciplinary team with a holistic view of the patient is required.

Keywords

• repetitive strain injury
• chronic pain
• surgery
• multidisciplinary team