United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

Hey there, My husband suffered a brachial plexus injury in an auto accident on 4/5/2013. We live in the eastern Sierras of California, he flipped our truck on a mountain road. He was in a Reno hospital for 2 months and now we are just learning of what exactly this type of injury is. He has paralysis in his left deltoid and bicep and other regional muscles. His hand and forearm work pretty well. When he was released from the hospital they explained his condition as "some nerve damage". it wasn't until I read his discharge pprwk that I saw brachial plexus injury and looked it up. I was pretty much horrified. So now we are trying to find anyone who can give us some sort of a definitve answer on the severity of his condition. He had an MRI last week and they explain whats going on in his C6-C5 nerve roots as a defect. What does that mean? We are currently looking for a specialist in So Cal. We live outside of Mammoth Lakes and we go to Mammoth Hospital, which being a major ski resort you would think they would know more about this type of injury, but no. I need some elementary insight here, thanks.

basil512
There is a Medical Resources List/Link on the Home page.Good Luck. Only a BPI SPECIALIST can give you the full diagnosis.
Carolyn J
LOBPI/75

I hope, for your husbands sake, that the nerves are just stretched! My 27yr old suffered a traumatic BPI one year ago. We found help thru the BPI clinic at mayo. We have gone to Rochester, mn but I noticed they have a clinic in az also. The phone # is 800-446-2279. They may be able to give you answers, or ask what kind of therapy he stood be doing! If the nerves are avulsed (pulled out) of the spinal cord, they have some surgeries to help, but like them done before 6 months post injury. If the nerves are stretched, keep in mind that the nerves can repair at about an inch a month. Good luck! I talked to a guy in my area that had gotten the nerves repaired by using the nerves in his calves (Also done at mayo), and he has regained all movement. Keep up the hope and start calling and talking to people and find the help,

Sorry to hear about your husbands accident and injury.

The straight and simple:
Don't settle for anyone that isn't a BPI specialist (more so a TBP specialist -traumatic brachial plexus injury). Even the top of the top neurosurgeons don't know what to do with this injury. You must go to a top TBPI specialist. In my opinion the BPI Clinic at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester MN is the place to go. If you are going to see multiple surgeons (as I did in the U.S. and in Europe), at least include the Mayo on your visit list so you can compare differences and surgical options.

I live in Los Angeles (where I had my accident 10 years ago), and while there are some specialist in Southern California that will treat BPI and have experience with BPI, none can provide the expertise and options for best recovery that the Mayo can (this is all my own person experience and opinion of course).

Call them up and schedule an appointment ASAP. Don't wait any longer. Best surgical option for repair is at the 4 month post injury date, up to 6 months.

http://www.mayoclinic.org/brachial-plex ... ments.html
Minnesota
Contact the Brachial Plexus Clinic at:
507-538-1988
8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central time, Monday through Friday

For the best available accurate diagnostics I recommend getting CT Myelogram and a MR Neurography. MRI's on their own are not conclusive enough. As far as I know exploratory surgery is still the best way to truly identify injury specifics.

Best of Luck,
Christopher

if So Cal is truly your only option:

DR FREDRIC L. EDELMAN in LA
http://ubpn.org/forums/18/8425
http://neurosurgery.ucla.edu/body.cfm?i ... ion=detail

no experience with Dr Pouratian, but his credentials are solid:
http://www.uclahealth.org/body.cfm?xyzp ... &ref=95328

plus UCLA uses MR Neurography for diagnostics