Median Arcuate Ligament Syndrome (MALS)

What i really want to know is, will I actually be totally better after the surgery, or will symptoms return after a few months?

The problem is that there really isn't a lot of surgeons who do this so it's hard to get a second opinion....;) But my Gi recomended this doc, and he is the only one in Cincinnati Childrens who performs this surgery.. According to him, he performs this surgery about once every 3-4 months, and 80% of patients are totally "cured". He said that he used to just do laproscopic but started robotic a few years ago and hasn't gone back since its easier and safer to do because he can get into tighter spaces...

Exactly. I have been diagnosed with gastroparesis, had to have my gallbladder removed, and I also had sphincter of Odii surgery. I also ended up with small bowel AVMs that had to be cauterized that was causing my anemia and now they’re checking for celiac disease as well in addition I also have reactive chemical gastrophy and severe chronic gastritis.

I would ask your surgeon how many they have done via robotics and their success rate. I wish I was more familiar with that procedure in MALS.

You really need to get a second opinion because it isn’t just about Separating the nerves. Dr. Hsu just something very specific that I’ve heard of no other doctor doing that make sure that nerve pain does not come back because nerves can grow back and if it’s not done properly you will end up back in the same boat. This is a major surgery and I would not have anyone cut on me until I had had more than one opinion

Depending on the suspected cause, for MALS it is a diagnosis of last resort, so a comprehensive GI work up is needed. There are other diagnosis that can cause symptoms. I think this is a great resource:https://rarediseases.org/rare-diseases/median-arcuate-ligament-syndrome/

You are correct about comorbidities and one of them is fibromyalgia which is still miss understood by most of the medical community including Mayo Clinic who tried to say that I had Munchhausen‘s! I finally went to other doctors that were local and they found diagnoses that Mayo Clinic never even thought of even though I gave him every medical record every symptom every surgery every allergy everything. I ended up canceling the rest of my appointments there because they Cut and wrap their head around the idea that fibromyalgia is real although they have a fibromyalgia clinic and want you to go through a three week pain management class the cost $42,000. People I’ve been dealing with fibromyalgia for 25 years I don’t need a $42,000 damn class or to be told that I have Munchhausen‘s. Since I quit seeing them I’ve been diagnosed with four different rare diseases including MALS.

Well said

I have severe aretery compression, but the surgeon said that he will cut not only the ligament away but also seperate all the nerves.... Is that the ganglion nerves? I have been followed by cincinnati childrens, so I'm getting the surgery done by someone there... According to him, he's done a bunch of these such cases with an 80% sucess rate, and has never need to resort to open during the surgery... The 20% he says had a different diagnosis which was causing their symptoms so the surgery didnt help..

Whoa! Who is doing that? Do you have an artery compression or is it the ganglion nerves? I have never heard of anybody having robotic surgery for that and I am on the MALS PALS Facebook page that is extremely informative. They’re only a few doctors in the entire country that are capable of doing the surgery without having to have another surgery performed by a different doctor to fix but the first one screwed up. I would do a heck of a lot of homework before I loud somebody to do that surgery especially robotic and laparoscopic. If you’re not already on the mals pal’s Facebook page you need to get on it. Now only read what everybody has to say but they have a lot of documentation and list of doctors who are preferred surgeons for this particular surgery. We are finding out from a lot of people that laparoscopic ends up going to an open surgery later down the road. Which then causes more problems.