Postoperative Outcomes of Transaxillary First Rib Resection with Anterior Scalenotomy for Thoracic Outlet Syndrome:...

Background and Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate postoperative outcomes following transaxillary first rib resection with concomitant anterior scalenotomy (Roos procedure) for Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, using an ambispective design with a standardized two-year multimodal follow-up in a prospectively observed subgroup. Materials and Methods: This ambispective observational cohort study included 32 patients (87.5% women; mean age, 33.8 years) who underwent transaxillary first rib resection with anterior scalenotomy for Thoracic Outlet Syndrome. Of these, seven patients comprised the retrospective cohort, having undergone surgery between 2017 and 2019, while the remaining 25 patients were enrolled prospectively and underwent surgery from 2020 onwards. Patients were classified as having neurogenic, vascular (arterial or venous), or mixed Thoracic Outlet Syndrome. Retrospective data were obtained from medical records, while prospectively treated patients were followed according to a predefined postoperative protocol. Longitudinal changes in clinical outcomes were analyzed using mixed linear and logistic regression models. Results: All analyzed symptoms improved after surgery (p < 0.05), with a significant reduction in upper limb edema over time (OR = 0.44, p = 0.002). The prevalence of positive provocative tests decreased notably across all maneuvers postoperatively. Pathological color duplex ultrasound findings of the upper limb vessels resolved almost completely during follow-up. Patient-reported outcome measures (CBSQ, DASH, and BPI) demonstrated meaningful postoperative improvement with sustained benefits over time. Electrophysiological evaluation revealed notable improvement in median sensory and motor nerve conduction parameters. Conclusions: Transaxillary first rib resection with anterior scalenotomy appears to improve clinical, functional, and objective outcomes in patients with Thoracic Outlet Syndrome; however, findings should be interpreted with caution due to the ambispective design, small sample size, and cohort heterogeneity, and require confirmation in larger prospective studies.