Comments on: Tympanoplasty Question http://rmondello.com/2009/01/08/tympanoplasty-question/ Life enthusiast. Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:50:54 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Alex http://rmondello.com/2009/01/08/tympanoplasty-question/#comment-3647 Alex Fri, 03 Feb 2012 03:42:07 +0000 http://www.richardmondello.com/?p=771#comment-3647 I am still having ear pain. No fluid behind the ear as described by my ENT. Does or did anybody on here have surgery and the eardrum healed perfectly but still had pain and needed surgery again. I am thinking maybe the surgery went wrong even though the eardrum healed. Any help appreciated. I am still having ear pain. No fluid behind the ear as described by my ENT. Does or did anybody on here have surgery and the eardrum healed perfectly but still had pain and needed surgery again. I am thinking maybe the surgery went wrong even though the eardrum healed. Any help appreciated.

]]> By: Adrienne http://rmondello.com/2009/01/08/tympanoplasty-question/#comment-3646 Adrienne Thu, 02 Feb 2012 19:13:14 +0000 http://www.richardmondello.com/?p=771#comment-3646 Love this blog! It helps pass the time while on bed rest following my tympanoplasty on Jan 27 in Calgary. I was doing very well, I only took T3's for one day. My surgery was fascia graft attaching it to the hammer bone which was scored, I had no eardrum. This was my third tymp but I was very young for my earlier surgeries but at 42 I figured it was time for my last kick at the can. On the evening of day 5 I sensed my sinuses may be congested so I took a decongestant & sure enough the draining began. I only had non-drowsy so it made for a very long night but I knew, thanks to this blog, that the pressure was not good & I had to ease it asap. I was up all night and its now day 6 and I am still draining. I did notice that with the sinus pressure my ear had stopped popping & feeling cold. On the decongestant the popping started up again & I feel the coolness in the middle ear again. I concluded that the build up of pressure was keeping everything unnaturally tight. I see the surgeon on Feb 8th and I hope more than even I expected that it will be good news. My surgeon was referred to me from my specialist as the only guy in the city who would touch my ear. He ended up being very happy with how the surgery went but he was adamant with my post op care. NO lifting, bending, quickness of movement, sneezing, blowing, no cold temperatures, wind, water & limited contact with people, basic bed rest is the name of the game for 2 weeks post op. Short term disability was advised. Holy its harder than I expected especially the further along I go. Friends in the medical field seem to try & discount his instructions. That does not help my mindset!! I'm being stubbornly resolute with my care & following my instuctions completely. Don't you love how docs in another dicipline know nothing about other specialties, UNTIL you had something done?? What the heck is up with that? I do not like having to justify my bed rest 'prescripition', but its my success that is on the line. Venting here, but I am sure I am not the first one to feel this way. This blog has been awesome & I don't know if I would have caught my sinus issue if I hadn't been reading all the stories. *One tip I was given for hairwashing was on top of the cotton ball with vaseline, cover the ear with Saran wrap. The plastic sticks to the vaseline & it really works well. All the best in health :) Love this blog! It helps pass the time while on bed rest following my tympanoplasty on Jan 27 in Calgary. I was doing very well, I only took T3′s for one day. My surgery was fascia graft attaching it to the hammer bone which was scored, I had no eardrum. This was my third tymp but I was very young for my earlier surgeries but at 42 I figured it was time for my last kick at the can.
On the evening of day 5 I sensed my sinuses may be congested so I took a decongestant & sure enough the draining began. I only had non-drowsy so it made for a very long night but I knew, thanks to this blog, that the pressure was not good & I had to ease it asap. I was up all night and its now day 6 and I am still draining. I did notice that with the sinus pressure my ear had stopped popping & feeling cold. On the decongestant the popping started up again & I feel the coolness in the middle ear again. I concluded that the build up of pressure was keeping everything unnaturally tight. I see the surgeon on Feb 8th and I hope more than even I expected that it will be good news.
My surgeon was referred to me from my specialist as the only guy in the city who would touch my ear. He ended up being very happy with how the surgery went but he was adamant with my post op care. NO lifting, bending, quickness of movement, sneezing, blowing, no cold temperatures, wind, water & limited contact with people, basic bed rest is the name of the game for 2 weeks post op. Short term disability was advised. Holy its harder than I expected especially the further along I go.
Friends in the medical field seem to try & discount his instructions. That does not help my mindset!! I’m being stubbornly resolute with my care & following my instuctions completely. Don’t you love how docs in another dicipline know nothing about other specialties, UNTIL you had something done?? What the heck is up with that? I do not like having to justify my bed rest ‘prescripition’, but its my success that is on the line. Venting here, but I am sure I am not the first one to feel this way.
This blog has been awesome & I don’t know if I would have caught my sinus issue if I hadn’t been reading all the stories.

*One tip I was given for hairwashing was on top of the cotton ball with vaseline, cover the ear with Saran wrap. The plastic sticks to the vaseline & it really works well.

All the best in health :)

]]> By: Andrew http://rmondello.com/2009/01/08/tympanoplasty-question/#comment-3638 Andrew Tue, 31 Jan 2012 21:46:17 +0000 http://www.richardmondello.com/?p=771#comment-3638 I went through my second tympanoplasty (and first simple mastoidectomy) this past Jan. 10th. I discovered this website before hand which helped remind me of the "fun" it can be to go through this surgery and helped keep me somewhat sane in the past 3 weeks waiting to find out if the graft was holding. Just got back from the doctor and the eardrum is looking good. I had my first tympanoplasty in '03 and it remained intact until a couple of years ago. Since then I've had two fairly major infections, with one that ended up infecting the mastoid bone. The day of surgery, I went in bright and early, got hooked up to an IV and was asked a bunch of questions a million times from various staff (better safe than sorry I suppose). I went into the OR and sat on the operating table and soon after I was knocked out. I woke up 2 1/2 hrs. later in recovery, coming in and out of consciousness. Considering I had been through this before, I wasn't feeling too bad and the pain meds were working as they should. I got home and slept most of the rest of the day, then tried to eat some food for dinner. I had a hard time chewing and opening my mouth very far for several days (might be more attributable to the mastiod procedure). I took Tylenol w/Codiene regularly for about 4-5 days and watched TV or slept for most of it. I woke up the morning of the 3rd day and felt the sickest after surgery I had been yet. I never threw-up, but I was darn close a couple of times. I still don't know exactly what that was from, but I think it may have been the food from the previous night. Eat a soft and simple diet for a few days! Later in the week after surgery, I took a bath or two, washed my hair very carefully, and kept vasoline soaked cotton in my ear. I was prescribed acetic drops after the first week and am still supposed to continue using them until it's all gone. A couple of times during week 2 & 3, I was able to scrape out (without putting my finger into my ear very far at all), a bunch of crusty crud which was some packing material and dried blood. Also, the doctor went behind the ear, as I knew he would, and the incision is healing nicely. About a week and a half in, the popping and noises really kicked into high gear. Every time I would chew food, there would be a pop or other sound in my ear. During this period, I grew very worried about whether or not the graft was holding. But, I maintained my calm for the most part with the help of this website and just waited to find out what the doctor saw. My ear also stuck out quite a bit after surgery, but has since returned to a normal position. I actually think my ears are more even now; after the first surgery, the right ear was certainly somewhat lower than the other. Thank you Doc for fixing that! Sorry for the stream of consciousness, I'm just trying to recap the past 3 weeks with as much detail as possible from my experience so that you all might breathe a little easier throughout your own ordeals. This way you aren't waiting to hear back from me either. Thanks Ricky for the website and everyone else who is having trouble with their ears. Hang tight and it WILL get better. Just believe it. Take care! I went through my second tympanoplasty (and first simple mastoidectomy) this past Jan. 10th. I discovered this website before hand which helped remind me of the “fun” it can be to go through this surgery and helped keep me somewhat sane in the past 3 weeks waiting to find out if the graft was holding. Just got back from the doctor and the eardrum is looking good. I had my first tympanoplasty in ’03 and it remained intact until a couple of years ago. Since then I’ve had two fairly major infections, with one that ended up infecting the mastoid bone.

The day of surgery, I went in bright and early, got hooked up to an IV and was asked a bunch of questions a million times from various staff (better safe than sorry I suppose). I went into the OR and sat on the operating table and soon after I was knocked out. I woke up 2 1/2 hrs. later in recovery, coming in and out of consciousness. Considering I had been through this before, I wasn’t feeling too bad and the pain meds were working as they should. I got home and slept most of the rest of the day, then tried to eat some food for dinner. I had a hard time chewing and opening my mouth very far for several days (might be more attributable to the mastiod procedure). I took Tylenol w/Codiene regularly for about 4-5 days and watched TV or slept for most of it. I woke up the morning of the 3rd day and felt the sickest after surgery I had been yet. I never threw-up, but I was darn close a couple of times. I still don’t know exactly what that was from, but I think it may have been the food from the previous night. Eat a soft and simple diet for a few days!

Later in the week after surgery, I took a bath or two, washed my hair very carefully, and kept vasoline soaked cotton in my ear. I was prescribed acetic drops after the first week and am still supposed to continue using them until it’s all gone. A couple of times during week 2 & 3, I was able to scrape out (without putting my finger into my ear very far at all), a bunch of crusty crud which was some packing material and dried blood. Also, the doctor went behind the ear, as I knew he would, and the incision is healing nicely.

About a week and a half in, the popping and noises really kicked into high gear. Every time I would chew food, there would be a pop or other sound in my ear. During this period, I grew very worried about whether or not the graft was holding. But, I maintained my calm for the most part with the help of this website and just waited to find out what the doctor saw.

My ear also stuck out quite a bit after surgery, but has since returned to a normal position. I actually think my ears are more even now; after the first surgery, the right ear was certainly somewhat lower than the other. Thank you Doc for fixing that!

Sorry for the stream of consciousness, I’m just trying to recap the past 3 weeks with as much detail as possible from my experience so that you all might breathe a little easier throughout your own ordeals. This way you aren’t waiting to hear back from me either.

Thanks Ricky for the website and everyone else who is having trouble with their ears. Hang tight and it WILL get better. Just believe it. Take care!

]]> By: Narelle http://rmondello.com/2009/01/08/tympanoplasty-question/#comment-3637 Narelle Tue, 31 Jan 2012 10:24:43 +0000 http://www.richardmondello.com/?p=771#comment-3637 Mike, I had mine done on the 12th. On Monday 30th I had the packing and stitches taken out. I had a new Dr look at it but she gave no feed back other than, 'hmm.hmm'...then she said it's still healing and don't get it wet for another 3 weeks and go back to the hospital again for a follow up visit. I wish the surgeon who did the work would look at it but he was busy, and being a public hospital in Australia, you have to take whatever Dr. they give you. I'm too scared to do any workouts as I can feel my ear drum if I do something as much as lean over to pick up a washing basket! Anyway, I'm glad you got good feed back! I am still picking out bits of white plastic that somehow was left in my ear near the stitches. Mike, I had mine done on the 12th. On Monday 30th I had the packing and stitches taken out. I had a new Dr look at it but she gave no feed back other than, ‘hmm.hmm’…then she said it’s still healing and don’t get it wet for another 3 weeks and go back to the hospital again for a follow up visit. I wish the surgeon who did the work would look at it but he was busy, and being a public hospital in Australia, you have to take whatever Dr. they give you. I’m too scared to do any workouts as I can feel my ear drum if I do something as much as lean over to pick up a washing basket! Anyway, I’m glad you got good feed back! I am still picking out bits of white plastic that somehow was left in my ear near the stitches.

]]> By: mike g http://rmondello.com/2009/01/08/tympanoplasty-question/#comment-3636 mike g Tue, 31 Jan 2012 05:03:35 +0000 http://www.richardmondello.com/?p=771#comment-3636 Thanks Narelle. I had mine on the 11th. I went to today and everything seemed good. He said the drum was intact. I can even start "light workouts." But still no nose blowing, straining etc. So basically, I have to be extra careful for another 3 weeks. After 6 wks, it should be strong. We will see. Thanks Narelle. I had mine on the 11th. I went to today and everything seemed good. He said the drum was intact. I can even start “light workouts.” But still no nose blowing, straining etc. So basically, I have to be extra careful for another 3 weeks. After 6 wks, it should be strong. We will see.

]]> By: Alex http://rmondello.com/2009/01/08/tympanoplasty-question/#comment-3632 Alex Sun, 29 Jan 2012 06:34:44 +0000 http://www.richardmondello.com/?p=771#comment-3632 I had tympanoplasty surgery in Feb 09. Sometimes my eardrum still hurts tremendously. It seems when I go to the ENT, they use a microsuction device which pulls the eardrum to a correct position. Other times I cuff my ear with my palm and apply pressure and immediately pull it away from my ear like a vacuum and it eases the pain on the eardrum. The pain goes away for a little but comes back every other month. When the pain does come, I feel sharp pain behind my eardrum when I swallow my saliva or water. As far as people getting surgery, I did the incision through the ear, little scar left over and pain for about 5 days. Take the meds the ENT gives you and get rest. The ear might bleed, but that is OK, mine did each day. The packing is weird, the ENT said the packing was causing a clicking/popping sound in my ear, but that same sound is still here after almost three years. Anybody have clicking or popping sound after surgery. I got the skin graft procedure. I had tympanoplasty surgery in Feb 09. Sometimes my eardrum still hurts tremendously. It seems when I go to the ENT, they use a microsuction device which pulls the eardrum to a correct position. Other times I cuff my ear with my palm and apply pressure and immediately pull it away from my ear like a vacuum and it eases the pain on the eardrum. The pain goes away for a little but comes back every other month. When the pain does come, I feel sharp pain behind my eardrum when I swallow my saliva or water. As far as people getting surgery, I did the incision through the ear, little scar left over and pain for about 5 days. Take the meds the ENT gives you and get rest. The ear might bleed, but that is OK, mine did each day. The packing is weird, the ENT said the packing was causing a clicking/popping sound in my ear, but that same sound is still here after almost three years. Anybody have clicking or popping sound after surgery. I got the skin graft procedure.

]]> By: Narelle http://rmondello.com/2009/01/08/tympanoplasty-question/#comment-3630 Narelle Fri, 27 Jan 2012 05:49:09 +0000 http://www.richardmondello.com/?p=771#comment-3630 Mike, you must have had your op same day as me, I go back Monday for my follow up too. Well if you blew your nose 'just a little this afternoon' I don't think you should really worry too much, surely the graft would have taken by now. I blew my nose a few times early on without thinking too and nothing happened. I think it depends on how vigourously you do it. The pop could be a bit of movement with the packing. I can hear myself breathing and talking as an echo through my ear sometimes. Mike, you must have had your op same day as me, I go back Monday for my follow up too. Well if you blew your nose ‘just a little this afternoon’ I don’t think you should really worry too much, surely the graft would have taken by now. I blew my nose a few times early on without thinking too and nothing happened. I think it depends on how vigourously you do it. The pop could be a bit of movement with the packing. I can hear myself breathing and talking as an echo through my ear sometimes.

]]> By: mike g http://rmondello.com/2009/01/08/tympanoplasty-question/#comment-3629 mike g Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:45:50 +0000 http://www.richardmondello.com/?p=771#comment-3629 My 4 yr old niece stabbed me in my ear. I had a tympanoplasty 2 wks ago. I accidentally blew my nose a little this afternoon w/o thinking and heard a little pop---I can hear myself swallowing sometimes now. No blood or discharge really...I hope I didn't blow the operation. That would REALLY suck! I go back Mon for my 2 1/2 wk follow up. My 4 yr old niece stabbed me in my ear. I had a tympanoplasty 2 wks ago. I accidentally blew my nose a little this afternoon w/o thinking and heard a little pop—I can hear myself swallowing sometimes now. No blood or discharge really…I hope I didn’t blow the operation. That would REALLY suck! I go back Mon for my 2 1/2 wk follow up.

]]> By: Narelle http://rmondello.com/2009/01/08/tympanoplasty-question/#comment-3628 Narelle Thu, 26 Jan 2012 12:58:15 +0000 http://www.richardmondello.com/?p=771#comment-3628 I want to also add about Noises in Ear: Noises are muffled of course due to packing in ear, but I have been hearing anything from whistles, popping, ringing and echoes of my own breathing AND VOICE through my ear. But it's not all the time. Just random throughout the day, although it is a daily occurance. However, the ringing etc is only noticable when its quiet, or when I'm lying down. If there's other noises around then I don't notice it as much. I want to also add about Noises in Ear: Noises are muffled of course due to packing in ear, but I have been hearing anything from whistles, popping, ringing and echoes of my own breathing AND VOICE through my ear. But it’s not all the time. Just random throughout the day, although it is a daily occurance. However, the ringing etc is only noticable when its quiet, or when I’m lying down. If there’s other noises around then I don’t notice it as much.

]]> By: Narelle http://rmondello.com/2009/01/08/tympanoplasty-question/#comment-3627 Narelle Thu, 26 Jan 2012 12:50:18 +0000 http://www.richardmondello.com/?p=771#comment-3627 Just sharing my story, in case it helps anyone. Firstly, it seems that most people have problems with their LEFT ear. Not a scientific fact, just something I noticed as I read forums. I lost nearly all of my left ear drum during scuba diving. I had a myringoplasty 2 weeks ago. They took a skin graft from my scalp behind my ear, after shaving a bit of my very long hair! This was the bit I was dreading the most but I really had nothing to worry about, I can't see it and the stitches are making it heal up. The pain I had was: When I was getting a needle for the drip in my forearm. When they woke me up in recovery and had the bandage around my head, all I could feel was pain, but it felt more like a serious headache than anything else. The only other pain is when I would accidently bump or lie on my sore ear or stitches. My pain lasted the first 2 days mainly. I was in hospital for 24 hours but once I left hospital, I didn't really need pain killers. I do feel a sudden sting sometimes where the nerve endings are repairing, which lasts about 1 second. The pain killers they gave me straight after the op: Paracetamol x 2 tablets - Strangely, it worked! Normally these wouldn't even fix a normal headache for me but they seemed to work when I woke up in recovery. Once they started to wear off, they gave me 1 x Endone (Morphine 5mg) tablet. This worked beautifully. No more pressure from the bandage, no more pain whatsover and I managed to fall into a relaxing sleep state. Mind you, they do keep you awake on some level so you are just in 'twilight' sleep. They sent me home with 20 x Endone tablets and 100 x Paracetamol tablets and laxitives. Once I got home, I only used 1 x Endone and 2 x paracetamol tablets and that was it, the pain was either bareable or non existant from day 2 onwards. In hospital they gave me anti-nauseous medication as I felt dizzy when I got up. Dizziness and disorientation: This was evident from the time I got off the hospital bed to go home, until about day 4. I would get up from bed and feel very drunk, (but not wanting to vomit!). It was unsettling as I could not do anything for long before I needed to go and lie down again for a bit. I started to feel this was a permanent side-effect, but from day 5 onwards it improved and I was able to drive safely, get on the computer and sit up talking for ages. This was probably caused by both the ear fluid being out of balance and the Endone (morphine) drugs. Packing in ear: For the first 3-4 days I had blood like liquid running out of my ear and down my neck. However I think that was just the oil in the packing that was dripping out and mixing with dried blood on its way down. The packing in my ear is very itchy and driving me mad. I feel like scratching it out with my nails or getting a knitting needle to scratch it! But I just have to wait till I see the Surgeon in a few days to get it out, or let it dissolve on its own as I'm not even sure what its made of. Stitches: I saw stitches where the small skin graft was taken from my head behind my ear, and then 2 weeks later after taking off some gauze, I discovered stitches were also down my top & front of my ear lobe, (part of ear near where your side-burns are). They must have cut my ear to gain access to the ear canal? These sting occassionally and are made of nylon. Not sure why they didnt' use dissolvable ones. Anyway my regular GP didn't want to cut them out after 2 weeks and is making me wait until I see the surgeon in another 5 days for him to remove them. That's about all I can tell you of my experience so far. In a few days I see the surgeon to hopefully have it all taken out and I can see if the graft has taken and whether I can hear again! The surgeon said this op only has a 60% chance of success. Just sharing my story, in case it helps anyone. Firstly, it seems that most people have problems with their LEFT ear. Not a scientific fact, just something I noticed as I read forums. I lost nearly all of my left ear drum during scuba diving.
I had a myringoplasty 2 weeks ago. They took a skin graft from my scalp behind my ear, after shaving a bit of my very long hair! This was the bit I was dreading the most but I really had nothing to worry about, I can’t see it and the stitches are making it heal up.

The pain I had was:
When I was getting a needle for the drip in my forearm.
When they woke me up in recovery and had the bandage around my head, all I could feel was pain, but it felt more like a serious headache than anything else.
The only other pain is when I would accidently bump or lie on my sore ear or stitches.
My pain lasted the first 2 days mainly. I was in hospital for 24 hours but once I left hospital, I didn’t really need pain killers. I do feel a sudden sting sometimes where the nerve endings are repairing, which lasts about 1 second.

The pain killers they gave me straight after the op:
Paracetamol x 2 tablets – Strangely, it worked! Normally these wouldn’t even fix a normal headache for me but they seemed to work when I woke up in recovery. Once they started to wear off, they gave me 1 x Endone (Morphine 5mg) tablet. This worked beautifully. No more pressure from the bandage, no more pain whatsover and I managed to fall into a relaxing sleep state. Mind you, they do keep you awake on some level so you are just in ‘twilight’ sleep. They sent me home with 20 x Endone tablets and 100 x Paracetamol tablets and laxitives. Once I got home, I only used 1 x Endone and 2 x paracetamol tablets and that was it, the pain was either bareable or non existant from day 2 onwards.
In hospital they gave me anti-nauseous medication as I felt dizzy when I got up.

Dizziness and disorientation:
This was evident from the time I got off the hospital bed to go home, until about day 4. I would get up from bed and feel very drunk, (but not wanting to vomit!). It was unsettling as I could not do anything for long before I needed to go and lie down again for a bit. I started to feel this was a permanent side-effect, but from day 5 onwards it improved and I was able to drive safely, get on the computer and sit up talking for ages. This was probably caused by both the ear fluid being out of balance and the Endone (morphine) drugs.

Packing in ear: For the first 3-4 days I had blood like liquid running out of my ear and down my neck. However I think that was just the oil in the packing that was dripping out and mixing with dried blood on its way down. The packing in my ear is very itchy and driving me mad. I feel like scratching it out with my nails or getting a knitting needle to scratch it! But I just have to wait till I see the Surgeon in a few days to get it out, or let it dissolve on its own as I’m not even sure what its made of.

Stitches: I saw stitches where the small skin graft was taken from my head behind my ear, and then 2 weeks later after taking off some gauze, I discovered stitches were also down my top & front of my ear lobe, (part of ear near where your side-burns are). They must have cut my ear to gain access to the ear canal? These sting occassionally and are made of nylon. Not sure why they didnt’ use dissolvable ones. Anyway my regular GP didn’t want to cut them out after 2 weeks and is making me wait until I see the surgeon in another 5 days for him to remove them.

That’s about all I can tell you of my experience so far. In a few days I see the surgeon to hopefully have it all taken out and I can see if the graft has taken and whether I can hear again! The surgeon said this op only has a 60% chance of success.

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