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Median Arcuate Ligament Syndrome (MALS)
I am looking for other patients that have been diagnosed with Median Arcuate Ligament Syndrome. Although it is caused by compression of the celiac artery many people experience abdominal pain after eating, diarrhea, food avoidance. Usually the first doctors they see are GI doctors. It is a diagnosis that is made after everything else is ruled out. I am curious if anyone else has had surgery?
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Have you had any tests done on your gallbladder function? That was something else I had checked out prior to MALS diagnosis.
I had this before mals surgery but it was hard to distinguish what actually was mals pain. I had my mals doctor do new ct scan and bc my upper gi said normal he said it wasn’t SMAS. I have this squeezing, tightening all the time. I have discomfort when eating but not pain, nausea or vomiting which would indicate SMAS.
I have this and I thought it was from mals, are you saying the diaphragmatic and rib squeezing is new since surgery? Have you ruled out other compressions?
Keep searching for answers. Sometimes allopathic doctors can be a little dismissive when they don't know what's wrong.
One of the problems I had after my first surgery was scar tissue causing tightness and soreness around my ribs and radiating around to my mid back. I have been to physical therapy twice, and the last guy I saw was incredibly helpful -- I felt great for many months after those sessions. I also take several anti-inflammatory supplements (turmeric, ginger and magnesium glycinate) that help keep me functional.
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2 ReactionsI had MALS open surgery a year ago. It was based on neurogenic not velocities. The mals pain is gone but I’m having horrible diaphragmatic and lower rib squeezing. No one has any answers-again! My doctor redid a ct scan and upper GI series and the Celia plexus looks ok. I’m at a loss of what to do.
I have a very similar story to yours, I am curious how you are doing now and if you had surgery?
Can I ask who your surgeon was and how you are doing now?
@jhmontrose - I had the surgery January 2015. All well until 6 months later when symptoms recurred. CT angio showed the celiac artery still had not returned to normal shape after the ligament was removed- it had compressed the artery. A vascular surgeon placed a stent that has worked so far. The next step would be open surgery to repair the artery. They removed the nerve bundles in the first surgery.
I had been told at the first surgery it was a 50-50 chance it would work. There are many patients that require more surgery. This is not a condition that is promised to go away, unfortunately.
The CT angio that you had done locally probably was not done the way the specialists require.
Dr. Swee Tan, a vascular surgeon in Seattle. This time around, I've had a doppler ultrasound and a CTA. I have a feeling they are going to want to do another one to confirm the ultrasound results, possibly an angiogram. I had one of those in 2015 and it was not a fun experience.
Dr. Meyer actually suggested that as a possibility, in addition to not removing the nerve bundle. The vascular surgeon (Dr. Swee Tan) who worked on me in 2015 didn't file a report with the hospital, so they are requesting it. I had a thoracic surgeon finish a hernia repair for reflux and he filed the operative report.