Tucson woman receives treatment for rare disease at Banner Boswell Medical Center

PHOENIX — Linda Hill, who calls Tucson home, is making steady progress toward getting her life back after receiving treatment for thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) at Banner Boswell Medical Center, according to a Friday press release.

TOS, as defined by Banner Health, is a condition the pressurizes “blood vessels or nerves in the area between the neck and shoulder.” The disease, which can be vascular or neurogenic in its effects, occurs in roughly 3 to 80 per 1,000 people and is most commonly found in those between age 20 and 50, according to Yale Medicine.

After seeing 17 doctors and more than two years of dealing with right shoulder pain and swelling in both wrists, Hill came across Dr. Brett Broussard and Sun City’s Banner Boswell in August 2023.

“For once, my symptoms were not belittled,” Hill said in the release. “Dr. Broussard gave me honesty, compassion, and was willing to look at my symptom history. He has the knowledge to know what to look for – and knew I had TOS.”

Banner Boswell’s Broussard said physical therapy is more often than not the preferred treatment method for TOS, but in Hill’s even more rare case of both sides of her body being affected, surgery was chosen. Hill reportedly made “at least four” trips to Sun City for surgical procedures and they ended with her getting her hands back to normal.

“My kids told me that ‘I’ve got my silly back,’” Hill said. “And they’re right. I finally am starting to feel like myself again and I’m just so grateful.”

Hill has since been making strides toward being able to swim and kayak again, which are two of her life passions.

Besides physical rehabilitation, Banner Boswell offers cardiac and cancer care, orthopedic surgery and emergency care.

There are 16 other Banner Health hospitals in Arizona.

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