United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

Hello all,

I am heading to the Mayo clinic on January 15th & 16th for testing and to meet the team.

Are doctors Alex Shin, Allen Bishop, and Robert Spinner all still there?

Of course everyone speaks highly of the hospital, but has anyone been out there recently? How was it and how were your doctors? Any tips?

I will report back with my own experience in a few weeks.

Alex

Please do report back, Alex. Best of Luck and safe trip.
Carolyn J
LOBPI/75++++

Alex, all three are still there! Shin is funny and jokes around. Bishop takes the time to explain everything to you and make sure you understand things! Spinner we saw on my sons initial visit, but not much since. Tho he was in on the 1st surgery Dana had. They definitely know what's going on! Dana's 1st surgery was a year ago thanksgiving, and nov 5 of this year he was back for a wrist and thumb fusion.

Best of luck with your visit to Mayo and I hope your nerves were just stretched or tore!

Marsena

Thank you Marsena, just what I wanted to hear.

I will report back upon my return.

Alex

To find a way is to try, it is a blessing no matter what
Your path of possible outcome is bright, picking the first operation is a choose , there is by posts a time element in fixing these types of injuries to
Picking the first surgery or treatment that will give you the most usage back is the one that have the best outcome and are in time to do
It is amazing to see our ability to adapt and what your left with in life. I am so glad to see your going on this quest and found a place to go
When I was 10 , I went to a children hospital in the 60s and was examined by many doctors , the outcome was there was no help for my birth erbs and was told your just going to have to live with it , my outcome my post.
I am sure , what ever you dont get from one surgery you will get others overtime.
There hope and then there Posts
Mr Positive
Tom

I hope all went well at Mayo...I have been trying desperately to go there for last 5 months but am denied by insurance.. The kicker is no one within the insurance plan contracts to deal with adult tpbi.

I hope all went well at Mayo...I have been trying desperately to go there for last 5 months but am denied by insurance.. The kicker is no one within the insurance plan contracts to deal with adult tpbi.

Well, here I am, back in Rochester, MN, in a Mayo waiting room, 8 weeks after my last visit. I'm about to go for a second EMG, then I'll meet with the trio again a few hours later today.

I apologize for the delay in writing this follow-up post. My first visit in January went well. I really liked Shin & Spinner. Bishop was out, but hopefully I'll meet him today. Dr. Alex Shin basically directed the consultation, and he was very upbeat, friendly, optimistic, and realistic. And smart. I came armed with a long list of questions and they patiently answered them all. We determined that, because I was showing some signs of spontaneous recovery, we'd wait until the 5-month mark (now) to reevaluate.

Depending on the results of our reevaluation today, we'll likely go right into surgery tomorrow.

I currently have pretty good shoulder function, I can abduct the arm and lift it ahead of me, but I can't lift it above horizontal. I can make a fist and have decent sensation in the hand, albeit with some pain. I have about half and inch of subluxation at the shoulder, because my deltoids are gone. I have no biceps nor triceps. I have little to no finger or wrist extension. I can not supinate my arm/wrist.

We'll see.