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Mesenteric Artery Ischemic

Posted by bfort @bfort, Jan 29, 2023

Hi,
Last year I had surgery for nMALS. Neurogenic Median Acruate Ligament Syntrom. I had severe abdominal pain in my sternum and abdomen going around my rib cage to my back. Everytime I would eat, drink, or exercise, I get severe pain for the next 3 to 4 hours. I lost 49 lbs and just didn't want to eat because of the pain.
nMALS, is where the nerves wrap around the Celiac Artery and compress the artery, reducing the blood flow to the organs. I had the surgery last May hoping to relieve the pain. However, the pain never went away after surgery. In Nov, I had a CT, CTA and mesenteric Doppler ultrasound. They showed I now have Mesenteric Artery Ischemic. This is a blockage in the celiac artery which is rare too.
My question is has anybody had the surgery to relieve the blockage? My Vascular Surgeon said I need to have a angioplasty balloon procedure with a possible stent put in and or a bypass. Since this procedure is rare I was wondering if anybody has had success with this surgery and or any other issues after the surgery. I know I need it since I went from a 50% blockage last April to a 75% blockage in Nov.
If you could share your experience and who did your surgery, I would greatly appreciate it. I've not found many local doctors in my area with alot of experience.
Thanks for your help.

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Ingegerd Enscoe, Alumni Mentor | @astaingegerdm | Jan 30, 2023

@bfort - Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect!
There are a few members through the years who have been through MALS surgery.
I had MALS surgery 2015 and stent placement 6 months later. 7+ years later - November 2022- I had another stent placed successfully.
Many times the celiac artery is still deformed after the initial surgery of releasing the ligament and many of us need a stent to keep the artery open.
I was also told I may need a bypass if the original plan was not feasible.
Many surgeons are not encouraging about the success of the MALS surgery.
I made the decision myself after searching for alternatives.
Let’s hope other members will join and tell us about their experiences.

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1 reply
bfort | @bfort | Jan 30, 2023
In reply to @astaingegerdm "@bfort - Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect! There are a few members through the years who..." + (show)
@astaingegerdm

@bfort - Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect!
There are a few members through the years who have been through MALS surgery.
I had MALS surgery 2015 and stent placement 6 months later. 7+ years later - November 2022- I had another stent placed successfully.
Many times the celiac artery is still deformed after the initial surgery of releasing the ligament and many of us need a stent to keep the artery open.
I was also told I may need a bypass if the original plan was not feasible.
Many surgeons are not encouraging about the success of the MALS surgery.
I made the decision myself after searching for alternatives.
Let’s hope other members will join and tell us about their experiences.

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Thank you for responding. I know there are many doctors don't believe in MALS. Its a shame. I am so amazed at how many people have MALS and Cathy be diagnosed properly. I can't imagine so many being sick for so many years and suffering all this time.
I don't think my MALS surgery was a complete failure because the nerves were compressing the celiac artery. Unfortunately, there were no signs of a blocked celiac artery. So now I'm looking for a Vascular Surgeon to do the angioplasty and balloon procedure with a possible stent.
How did you know the stent wasn't working the first time? Did the pain come back? Once the stent was place, did the pain go away right away?
This makes me so nervous. The MALS surgery was rough to begin with, I can't imagine doing it all over again.
Thanks for responding.

REPLY
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