“I have patients come to me feeling frustrated and misdiagnosed with conditions like fibromyalgia, complex regional pain syndrome or thoracic outlet syndrome,” said Dr. Ketan Sharma, the St. Luke’s surgeon at the heart of the unique procedure. “Despite being treated by a range of specialists, many of them still suffer from debilitating pain with no clear explanation or path forward.”
Dr. Sharma and colleague Dr. James Friedman, a California-based orthopedic surgeon, determined that the pectoralis minor muscle, a small, but crucial muscle located in the front of the chest, was often the hidden culprit. Through performing a tenotomy or “release” on this muscle, patients, many who had previously felt their pain was inexplicable, are experiencing life-changing relief.
The procedure has historically been used to treat pectoralis minor syndrome, a different and rare diagnosis, but this brief, well-tolerated surgery now has proven results for certain chronic pain.
Dr. Sharma has been performing the procedure for a year and has already seen great results for his patients.
“Seeing patients regain their strength, ease their pain and live their lives again is incredibly rewarding. I’m excited to see this procedure take off and help more patients,” he said.
In April 2022, Boise resident Hayden Rhodes suffered a severe injury while working.
“I was installing solar panels for work, while on a roof, my safety equipment failed and I fell 24 feet onto my shoulder resulting in multiple fractures of my humerus,” Rhodes said.
