AUSTIN (KXAN) – What started as a normal day, working and coming home to rest, turned dark for Anthony Sciancalepore. After coming home from a long work week, he got up from his sofa and noticed his left arm had turned purple.
“I went to the hospital that evening, and by that point, the blood flow to my arm had gotten better, like there wasn’t visible discoloration there,” Sciancalepore said. “So, they sent me home. Well, over the next month, it just got worse.”
Sciancalepore said his chest started to swell.
“My left pectoral was twice the size,” the 28-year-old said.
Sciancalepore went back to the emergency room and after several tests doctors found he developed a blood clot and that led doctors to diagnose Sciancalepore with Paget-Schroetter Syndrome.
“It’s a blood clot in people who use their arms excessively, either in athletics or occupation,” Dr. Jeffrey Apple, a vascular surgeon at St. David’s North Austin Medical Center, said.
Doctor Apple, who is treating Sciancalepore, says the syndrome is rare but mainly seen among athletes who use their arms excessively, including those who play basketball, swim, or play baseball, as well as individuals who weightlift. However, people who sit and stand for long periods could put individuals at risk, and looking at your phone is another big factor.
“Posture,” Dr. Apple pointed out during his interview with KXAN. “When we’re looking at our cellphone or sitting at a computer, your shoulders are slumped forward, and your head and neck are kind of tilted forward. Those patients, like Anthony, we talk to them about good posture, limiting their cellphone use, and then giving them some basic band work and strengthening to correct.”
Before Sciancalepore started treatment – living with Paget-Schroetter Syndrome affected his daily routine – even the simplest tasks took a lot of effort.
“It was so painful I couldn’t do practically anything, I was in bed a lot,” he said. “Sometimes, even just walking would cause my arm to turn purple.”
Treatment typically begins with physical therapy, removing the clot. If those don’t work, surgery is the next option. The procedure involves taking out the rib, known as the first rib, that sits in the neck area.
“We take out a couple of small neck muscles, take out the first rib, and then we take all the scar tissue that’s impinging on the vein,” Dr. Apple said.
The removal improves blood flow and range of motion.
“When you have your first rib removed, your body has to compensate for that loss using other muscles,” Sciancalepore said. “But I’ve been going to physical therapy twice a week since January, and that has been instrumental. I have a full range of motion now, like I can lift my arm to the side.”
Right as his left arm healed, Sciancalepore developed the same condition on his right arm. He’s scheduled to have surgery this summer.
A proud longhorn, Sciancalepore earned his bachelor’s degree in public health and a master’s in epidemiology from the University of Texas at Austin.
“I bleed orange. It’s, it’s my life. I watch every UT sport: baseball, basketball, football, tennis, soccer, everything. It doesn’t matter,” he said.
He’s using his health journey to pursue a doctorate and study vascular compression syndrome, particularly in people his age. After getting his PhD, the UT graduate wants to work for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and help investigate outbreaks and respond to public health challenges.
Both Dr. Apple and Sciancalepore urge people to listen to their body and watch for the signs it is showing them.
“First thing I tell people, if your arm or hand doesn’t feel right,” Dr. Apple said. “It can be subtle, but watch for swelling, pain, or discoloration.”