Diary of my Second surgery for Thoracic Outlet Surgery and Recovery

I think that my feelings about going for my second surgery are already diarised, but here they are again: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yi1z916xibM

I travelled back to Wolverhampton on Thursday 21st November, where I attended for my Pre-op assessment and was then taken to a 'temporary ward' as I was travelling for London and needed to stay the night before my surgery, so I was taken to what they call 'Surgical Short-stay' and it was reasonable in there, if not basic. They didn't provide over-sheets, just blankets, so I asked for one. The food throughout my entire stay was reasonable and I had large type fish-fingers for my supper and two puddings! The staff were nice, and the next day I made sure that I showered early with the pink stuff which is designed to ensure there is no MRSA on my body. I was then given a gown and stockings. I was first on the list. Unfortunately I couldn't go to the toilet before theatre, but on the way down there, I suddenly developped an urgency and the theatre staff had to very kindly let me use the female theatre bathroom. I was so glad to do that.

Putting me to sleep was different to the first time as I had asked them to use less invasive gas mask, and having it just above my face to avoid suffocation, but then the anaesthetist went into how they were going to use different medications and a different approach to putting me to sleep which I just didn't want to know about at this stage, I just wanted to slowly drift off to sleep, which did actually happen, and I was a lot calmer having used the bathroom. I went into surgery and left recovery at about 2pm which was a bit of a shorter time I think (by about an hour) compared to the first surgery.

Highly unfortunately the ward I had hoped to end up on was full, so I ended up on a general surgery ward and this was nowhere near as nice as the experience I had after my first surgery. The ward was hugely understaffed and I had to wait 5 hours at one point just to get some more Oramorph. The staff were nice, but not as efficient and just spread too thinly. The atmosphere was also nowhere near as nice on this ward and I have made a decision to write to the hospital about the matters of staffing (I am fully aware of the shortage of nursing staff on the NHS) and the unacceptable wait for medications on numerous occasions.

I was, fortunately, generally comfortable on day 1 because I had a lot of local anaesthesia as per first surgery, but unfortunately my surgeon was unable to match the scarring from side 1 to 2, he tried, but I guess solving the problem is more important.

I was told I absolutely needed this surgery and that they had found a very similar situation in side 2 to the first side, if not possibly worse, although my symptoms had always been less on the second, or right side.

Here is what I say on day 1 post op https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JqTEkA1hcJk

This is me on the ward on the afternoon of the surgery, needing a bit of extra oxygen which is perfectly normal.