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SUN CITY, Ariz. (July 8, 2019) --- Brett Broussard, MD, a newly hired fellowship-trained thoracic surgeon at Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center at Boswell Medical Center, specializes in thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS), and is believed to be one of the few surgeons in the metro Phoenix area who has been trained in this field.
TOS symptoms include severe neck pain, shooting pain down the arm or numbness or tingling in the hand. Patients often have been to specialists who couldn’t pinpoint the exact cause of their discomfort.
“Diagnosing thoracic outlet syndrome can be difficult because there can be a great variety of symptoms people can experience. The severity of the symptoms can vary as well from patient to patient,’’ said Broussard. “But with a correct diagnosis, we can really help people avoid any more pain and suffering.’’
The thoracic outlet is the region between the neck and the shoulder where key blood vessels and nerves are located. Muscles, ligaments or bones can compress this area, resulting in pain.
TOS can affect younger people, especially those who play sports that involve repetitive overhead motions such as pitching a baseball. The condition can also hurt people who perform a lot of physical labor in their job.
Surgery, combined with physical therapy before and after the procedure, has been shown to be effective for many TOS patients.
“The key is really getting the correct diagnosis and from there, we try to get people back on the right track,’’ Broussard said.
In addition to his TOS expertise, Broussard also provides open and minimally invasive surgical approaches, such as endoscopic, laparoscopic, VATS/ thoracoscopic and robotic, for the management of other benign and malignant thoracic and upper abdominal issues.
Broussard earned his medical degree at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center- School of Medicine, New Orleans. He completed his general surgery training at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and completed a surgical oncology research fellowship during that time. Afterwards, he completed a fellowship in thoracic surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School. He is certified through the American Board of Surgery.
To make an appointment with Dr. Broussard, please call 623-832-3444.
About Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center
Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center, located on the Banner Gateway campus, delivers cancer care to patients in Arizona through the partnership of Banner Health and MD Anderson Cancer Center. Banner MD Anderson offers focused disease-specific expertise in the medical, radiation and surgical management of the cancer patient; an evidence-based, multidisciplinary approach to patient care; access to clinical trials and new investigative therapies; state-of-the-art technology for the diagnosis, staging and treatment of all types of cancer; oncology expertise in supportive care services. For more information, visit www.BannerMDAnderson.com.
About Banner Boswell Medical Center
Banner Boswell Medical Center in Sun City, Arizona, specializes in heart care, cancer care, orthopedic surgery, physical rehabilitation, stroke care, skilled nursing and emergency care. Banner Boswell is part of Banner Health, a nonprofit healthcare system with 28 hospitals in six states. Banner Boswell’s high-performing team has achieved many recognitions including five Top 100 Hospital awards and eight Top 50 Cardiovascular awards from Truven Health Analytics. Supporting Banner Boswell’s mission of excellent patient care is Sun Health Foundation, which encourages charitable giving to enhance health care delivery. For more information, visit www.BannerHealth.com/Boswell.