Hi! Thank you for responding and sharing the contacts. Do I need to somehow alert them or will they see my posts? My surgery occurred in August and the surgeon went in through my back - my scare is quite large and it looks like I have had a lung removed. The surgeon went in through the back because my left subclavian artery has eroded and embedded itself in my spine. He was unable to remove it because it has actually attached itself to my spinal cord. This might be a horrendous surgery in the future if my back continues to decline. He also cut some bands on my heart which were strangling my trachea and esophagus and lastly he rolled my aorta and tacked it to my heart. I think I am healing quite well but there is still pressure, clamping and pain in my chest daily as my aorta is still compressing my trachea at a very high, front part of my chest. I do not know when tge second surgery for this will be - I am hoping things will improve and I might not need it. I am curious to hear from people who have anything similar and/or have had a plastic piece put in their throat because their vocal chord was paralysed during the surgery ( vegus nerve nipped). I have a temporary filler put in my throat and I do have breath intake problems (though this is likely due in part to my aorta as well). Does the plastic piece feel better or worse? Does anyone have a right- facing aorta that is compressing their trachea and ard waiting for surgery or have had surgery? Thank you for any thoughts on any of this.<br>