TOS Consortium

Although there have been quite a few studies published on the diagnosis and treatment of thoracic outlet syndrome, there is insufficient information upon which to draw wider comparisons or conclusions. More than a year ago, a number of physicians and therapists with interests and expertise in TOS began to develop the idea of assembling a nationwide consortium to address some of these concerns. This group determined that such an effort was desperately needed to advance our understanding of all forms of TOS, through clinical outcomes research and broader educational initiatives. Enthusiasm for this idea soon grew into formation of the

Consortium for Outcomes Research and Education on Thoracic Outlet Syndrome (CORE-TOS)

CORE-TOS was initially developed under the leadership of Dr. Robert W. Thompson, MD (Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis) and Julie A. Freischlag, MD (Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore), along with a Planning/Steering Committee and a core group of more than 30 additional clinicians and scientists representing a spectrum of specialties, disciplines, practice settings and geographic areas. CORE-TOS has also worked closely with Ms. Gail Sault and the American TOS Association (ATOSA), the leading patient support and advocacy group for patients with TOS and related upper-extremity neurovascular compression syndromes.

The initial goals of CORE-TOS are to:

  • Develop the infrastructure, resources, and assessment tools needed to conduct high-quality clinical outcomes and comparative-effectiveness research studies on all forms of TOS, particularly through establishment of a nationwide patient registry
  • Establish new priorities and mechanisms of support for clinical research related to TOS
  • Develop the clinical evidence necessary to establish standardized management guidelines for TOS and related conditions
  • Help raise awareness of the importance of TOS through clinical and community-based educational efforts

The following listing indicates the centers and individuals who have helped develop and guide the Consortium for Outcomes Research and Education on Thoracic Outlet Syndrome:

CORE-TOS Coordinating Center

Washington University, St. Louis, MO

(Barnes-Jewish Hospital; The Rehabilitation Institute of St. Louis)
Robert W. Thompson, MD (Vascular Surgery)
Valerie B. Emery, RN (Vascular Surgery)
Robert Fuller, MA (Vascular Surgery)
Matt R. Driskill, MSPT (Physical Therapy)
Jeanne Earley, MSPT (Physical Therapy)
Rahul Rastogi, MD (Anesthesia and Pain Management)
Vamsidhar R. Narra, MD (Diagnostic Radiology; MRI)
Suresh Vedantham, MD (Interventional Radiology)
Bradley A. Evanoff, MD, MPH (Occupational, Industrial, and Environmental Medicine)
Mae O. Gordon, PhD (Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences and Biostatistics)
J. Phillip Miller, PhD (Biostatistics)

CORE-TOS Regional Collaborating Centers

Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD (Johns Hopkins Hospital)

Julie A. Freischlag, MD (Vascular Surgery)
David C. Chang, PhD, MPH, MBA (Outcomes Research)

University of California-Los Angeles, CA

(UCLA Med Center; St. John’s Health Center)
Hugh A. Gelabert, MD (Vascular Surgery)
Sheldon E. Jordan, MD (Neurology and Pain Management)

University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN
(University of Tennessee Medical Center)
David C. Cassada, MD (Vascular Surgery)

Baylor University Medical Center, Dallas, TX
Baylor-Hamilton Heart and Vascular Hospital
Gregory J. Pearl, MD (Vascular Surgery)

Northwestern University, Chicago, IL

Northwestern Memorial Hospital
William H. Pearce, MD (Vascular Surgery)

CORE-TOS Participating Physicians and Consultants
(*Member, CORE-TOS Planning/Steering Committee) 

Stephen J. Annest, MD (Vascular Surgery)

Vascular Institute of the Rockies
Presbyterian/St. Luke’s Medical Center, Denver, CO

Erdogran Atasoy, MD (Plastic/Hand Surgery)

Kleinert Kutz Hand Care Center, Louisville, KY

Ali Azizzadeh, MD (Vascular Surgery)

University of Texas, Houston, TX

Dennis F. Bandyk, MD (Vascular Surgery)

University of South Florida, Tampa, FL

Thomas C. Bower, MD (Vascular Surgery)

Mayo Clinic, Gonda Vascular Center, Rochester, MN

Raphael Bueno, MD (Cardiothoracic Surgery)

Harvard Medical School, Brigham & Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA

Benjamin B. Chang, MD (Vascular Surgery)

Albany Medical College, Albany, NY

*Dean M. Donahue, MD (Cardiothoracic Surgery)

            Harvard Medical School, Brigham & Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA

Matthew Eagleton, MD (Vascular Surgery)

Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH

*Peter I. Edgelow, MA, DPT (Physical Therapy)

Hayward Physical Therapy, San Francisco, CA

Wladislaw V. Ellis, MD (Neurology/Psychiatry)

Berkeley, CA

*Karl A. Illig, MD (Vascular/Neurosurgery)

University of Rochester, Rochester, NY

*Kaj H. Johansen, MD, PhD (Vascular Surgery)

The Polyclinic Vascular Surgery Cherry Hill; Seattle, WA

K. Craig Kent, MD (Vascular Surgery)

University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI

Michel Kliot, MD (Neurosurgery)

Univ. of Washington, VA Puget Sound, Seattle, WA

Jason T. Lee, MD (Vascular Surgery)

Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA

Bennett I. Machanic, MD (Neurology)

Rose Medical Center, Denver, CO

Bernardo Martinez, MD (Vascular Surgery)

Saint Vincent Mercy Medical Center, Toledo, OH

Louis M. Messina, MD (Vascular Surgery)

University of Massachusetts, Worcester, MA

J. Ernesto Molina, MD (Cardiothoracic Surgery)

University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN

Louis L. Nguyen, MD, MBA (Vascular Surgery)

            Harvard Medical School, Brigham & Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA

*Richard J. Sanders, MD (Vascular Surgery)

Rose Medical Center, Denver, CO

*Gail M. Sault, CRT (Chief Executive Officer)

American TOS Association, Melbourne, FL

Darren B. Schneider, MD (Vascular Surgery)
University of California, San Francisco, CA

*Carlos A. Selmonosky, MD (Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery)
Inova Fairfax Hospital, Falls Church, VA

Murray L. Shames, MD (Vascular Surgery)
University of South Florida, Tampa, FL

William D. Turnipseed, MD (Vascular Surgery)
University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI

Ravi Veeraswamy, MD (Vascular Surgery)
Emory University, Atlanta, GA

*Scott A. Werden, MD (Diagnostic Radiology)
Vanguard Specialty Imaging, San Francisco, CA