A surgeon at Stamford Hospital was recently celebrated by former patients for completing his 1,000th surgery to alleviate a painful abdomen condition.

Dr. Richard Hsu treats patients with a condition called Median Arcuate Ligament Syndrome (MALS).

For people with the condition, an arcuate ligament compresses the celiac artery, which is the main blood vessel that supplies the stomach, liver and spleen.

"The underlying problem is that the diaphragm, the muscle that helps you breathe, sits too low in the MALS patients' bodies, and so the nerves are being crushed by the low-lying diaphragm. And that's what actually leads to nerve damage and the pain," he says.

The surgery usually involves releasing the artery that is compressed. Dr. Hsu is one of the few doctors in the world who also removes the damaged nerves. As a result, he has operated on people from around the world, including Australia, Israel and Romania.

"I believe if you don't address these damaged nerves, you can't get a positive outcome," he says.

For many patients, trying to find answers for their debilitating pain can be frustrating.

"For a patient to come in for corrective MALS surgery, their pain has to be excruciating to the point where it's disabling their lives. It's not uncommon to see a patient come in who has withdrawn from life. They can't work, they can't go to school and most of the time they can't eat." Hsu says.

Patients describe the surgery as life-changing and many send thank you cards to Hsu to express their gratitude.