Anyone had their Eardrum replaced/fixed?
Discussion
So, I’ve got to have a Myringoplasty -
Long history of war trouble when I was little - 5 sets of Grommets over the years left me with a permanent hole in my eardrum, careful management of it (no more diving, swimming, staying away from loud noise without ear protection etc) managed to keep infections to a minimum.
This year has been pretty much one long issue with hearing loss and infection - finally got an ENT appointment last week and consultant says I need to have it replaced.
He mentioned taking a graft from behind the ear but didn’t say much more. I’ve got to take elephant strength antibiotics to get rid of the infection then they’ll operate.
Anyone had it done?
Long history of war trouble when I was little - 5 sets of Grommets over the years left me with a permanent hole in my eardrum, careful management of it (no more diving, swimming, staying away from loud noise without ear protection etc) managed to keep infections to a minimum.
This year has been pretty much one long issue with hearing loss and infection - finally got an ENT appointment last week and consultant says I need to have it replaced.
He mentioned taking a graft from behind the ear but didn’t say much more. I’ve got to take elephant strength antibiotics to get rid of the infection then they’ll operate.
Anyone had it done?
pidsy said:
Was it successful in repairing the drum?
Its a very long story..... but in shortSuccessful in that it gave me an infection free 'healthy' (ENT surgeons battle scarred healthy) ear drum, on both sides, removing the Cholesteatoma and closing the perforation(s)
It made my hearing worse in my left ear, which then was attempted to be rectified, with an ossiculoplasty but unfortunately was unsuccessful.
It was then decided to leave the bones alone in my right ear when it was time for that tympanoplasty, as that was 'my best hearing ear'.
I had six operations in all, twice on both sides as is often the case to remove Cholesteatoma. I had postauricular type operation, where the incision is made behind the ear, which led to the classic 'everything tastes funny' for awhile (due to the proximity of a nerve).
My hearing is now stable, but poor and I have (touch wood) infection free (dry) ears. Hearing aids help with the hearing. Last operation was 2014 and I have had one infection since then.
From my thread today:
So after 3 years of waiting - OP is scheduled for next week.
In my 10 days of pre-op isolation now.
I must admit I’m worried. I’ve had operations before but none like this. It’s starting to stress me out.
I started a thread a year or so ago but can’t find it now so I’m aware that there is knowledge on here.
I have very low confidence in my consultant - I’d go so far as to say he’s one of the rudest consultants I’ve ever met (I’ve met a lot). Entirely dismissive and has given me pretty much no info at all in the 2 times I’ve seen him in the past 2 years. I have seen members of his team who all openly admitted he’s “difficult” and that I’m welcome to have someone else do it but he is the best at this.
My main issues are that I have so little ear drum to graft to that the chances of success are approx 50/50 - what happens if it doesn’t work? What’s next?
I’ve lived the past 3 years with pretty constant ear infection and a serious intolerance to loud noise. I can’t just carry on without having something done.
I have asked this in previous consultations but got nothing back.
Life is pretty uncomfortable and seems to be getting worse over the past few months.
He did mention that they wouldn’t do it if there was any sign of the drum being anything other than healthy but I can’t remember the last time I was without some kind of infection or pain.
Not sure what you lot can do but I’ve got no one to speak to for the next week and a half.
So after 3 years of waiting - OP is scheduled for next week.
In my 10 days of pre-op isolation now.
I must admit I’m worried. I’ve had operations before but none like this. It’s starting to stress me out.
I started a thread a year or so ago but can’t find it now so I’m aware that there is knowledge on here.
I have very low confidence in my consultant - I’d go so far as to say he’s one of the rudest consultants I’ve ever met (I’ve met a lot). Entirely dismissive and has given me pretty much no info at all in the 2 times I’ve seen him in the past 2 years. I have seen members of his team who all openly admitted he’s “difficult” and that I’m welcome to have someone else do it but he is the best at this.
My main issues are that I have so little ear drum to graft to that the chances of success are approx 50/50 - what happens if it doesn’t work? What’s next?
I’ve lived the past 3 years with pretty constant ear infection and a serious intolerance to loud noise. I can’t just carry on without having something done.
I have asked this in previous consultations but got nothing back.
Life is pretty uncomfortable and seems to be getting worse over the past few months.
He did mention that they wouldn’t do it if there was any sign of the drum being anything other than healthy but I can’t remember the last time I was without some kind of infection or pain.
Not sure what you lot can do but I’ve got no one to speak to for the next week and a half.
I’ve been very tempted to go private.
I’ve got 10 days isolation then drive through test on day 7.
I haven’t seen anyone from his team since January- I wouldn’t be suprised if they say they won’t do it on the day.
I’ll be royally f
ked off. Work have been very understanding so far but that’ll only go on for so long.
I’ve got 10 days isolation then drive through test on day 7.
I haven’t seen anyone from his team since January- I wouldn’t be suprised if they say they won’t do it on the day.
I’ll be royally f
ked off. Work have been very understanding so far but that’ll only go on for so long. Thread resurrection!
So going back to November - the dreaded PCR was positive so I then had not only a cancelled op, but another 10 days isolation which pretty much ruined Christmas.
I continued to do LFT’s and never had a positive.
Next date given was in March- PCR positive AGAIN! So cancelled op.
Date given in May - then my consultant decided to go on holiday.
Date given for weds of last week - actually made it in but…
Unbeknown to me (and them as they didn’t bother to look in my ear until I was in theatre) - I have a deep rooted inner ear infection.
Came round and had a member of my consultant’s team speak to me and he said that they did what they could but rather than the major operation, they tidied it up and patched it with local tissue. This only has a success rate of 30-40% and I have to go back in 3 weeks so they can have a look.
I still haven’t even seen my consultant- considering he did the Op and was obviously there on the day. I pointed out that if they had actually looked before knocking me out, we could have discussed options.
My issue is that I am highly susceptible to noise - bassy sounds and metallic grinding noises (frequent in my line of work) give me pain and lead to my inner ear getting aggravated and this in turn leads to ear infection. It’s hard to go a couple of months without an issue and I’ve had a headache since the new year.
The doctor I saw explained that this can’t possibly be what’s happening and that I must be contaminating my ear regularly. I’m not.
This has been going on since 2019 and it looks like I’ve had a pretty pointless operation - if it has failed which in likelihood, it will - we have to start the process again.
I’m pretty depressed about it to be fair. Going private isn’t really an option after I had some cardiac issues earlier in the year. Private costs owing to the history mean it got much more expensive.
I guess we’ll see what happens in 3 weeks.
So going back to November - the dreaded PCR was positive so I then had not only a cancelled op, but another 10 days isolation which pretty much ruined Christmas.
I continued to do LFT’s and never had a positive.
Next date given was in March- PCR positive AGAIN! So cancelled op.
Date given in May - then my consultant decided to go on holiday.
Date given for weds of last week - actually made it in but…
Unbeknown to me (and them as they didn’t bother to look in my ear until I was in theatre) - I have a deep rooted inner ear infection.
Came round and had a member of my consultant’s team speak to me and he said that they did what they could but rather than the major operation, they tidied it up and patched it with local tissue. This only has a success rate of 30-40% and I have to go back in 3 weeks so they can have a look.
I still haven’t even seen my consultant- considering he did the Op and was obviously there on the day. I pointed out that if they had actually looked before knocking me out, we could have discussed options.
My issue is that I am highly susceptible to noise - bassy sounds and metallic grinding noises (frequent in my line of work) give me pain and lead to my inner ear getting aggravated and this in turn leads to ear infection. It’s hard to go a couple of months without an issue and I’ve had a headache since the new year.
The doctor I saw explained that this can’t possibly be what’s happening and that I must be contaminating my ear regularly. I’m not.
This has been going on since 2019 and it looks like I’ve had a pretty pointless operation - if it has failed which in likelihood, it will - we have to start the process again.
I’m pretty depressed about it to be fair. Going private isn’t really an option after I had some cardiac issues earlier in the year. Private costs owing to the history mean it got much more expensive.
I guess we’ll see what happens in 3 weeks.
I should’ve updated…
It didn’t work (which I think everyone knew).
As I only had a minor OP - a plug basically put in, the full OP is next on the cards.
I’ve got a consultant appointment in 8 weeks where we will weigh up my options. The guy I saw last week was actually far more understanding than anyone else I’d seen and actually listened to the fact that I have an issue with sounds of certain types.
The main problem being that they won’t even attempt a full Myringoplasty unless my ear has been free of infection for 8-10 weeks which I explained was unlikely.
I think I’m running out of ways to sort it and of course - back to the start of the queue and step 1.
It didn’t work (which I think everyone knew).
As I only had a minor OP - a plug basically put in, the full OP is next on the cards.
I’ve got a consultant appointment in 8 weeks where we will weigh up my options. The guy I saw last week was actually far more understanding than anyone else I’d seen and actually listened to the fact that I have an issue with sounds of certain types.
The main problem being that they won’t even attempt a full Myringoplasty unless my ear has been free of infection for 8-10 weeks which I explained was unlikely.
I think I’m running out of ways to sort it and of course - back to the start of the queue and step 1.
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