Auditory nerve supposedly in tact-how long til I know if it will ever function?

[spgreenfield]

A month ago I had the suboccipital surgery for my AN.  I am currently SSD but wondering IF the nerve will heal at all and my hearing come back....I know this is a long shot - but hey - I'm a realist and my surgeon said that he had "signal" all the way until he closed me up....so maybe?  I've been reading about the BAHA and it looks wonderful!  If I'm going to be permanently SSD then I want to give this gadget a try......but as a realist, I wouldn't want to do it too soon.  I know that nerves take a long time to heal and grow back....any thoughts out there?

[Jim Scott]

I'm not a doctor and could be mistaken but from what I've read about the hearing nerve, once it's compromised by the AN and rendered non-functioning, hearing does not return post-op.  However, note that I would be pleased to be proven wrong. 

Jim 

[spgreenfield]

I would like to prove you wrong!  LOL!  My hearing was perfect until the surgery.  And he performed the suboccipital in order to attempt to preserve the hearing.....so the AN other than being taken out did nothing to my auditory nerve.  It was the surgery and as I said he had signal up until closing.....so it's a mystery!

[mk]

Unfortunately it is not a mystery. This is quite common with suboccipital/retrosigmoid. Even if the nerve itself remains intact, there is a big possibility of the blood supply being cut off  during surgery, thus starving the nerve. As Scott noted, contrary to the motor nerves, sensory nerves do not recover from injury.

Marianna

[Tumbleweed]

To add to what Marianna and Jim said, the hearing nerve's anatomical continuity can be totally preserved (physically left intact) during surgery and yet have its function compromised or destroyed. Like other sensory nerves (including the vestibular, or balance, nerve), the hearing nerve is quite sensitive to disturbances of any kind. Surgery is unfortunately invasive and can impact the sensory nerves that are in the area being operated on. I hate to say it, but it seems like the trauma of the surgery has probably irreparably damaged the function of your hearing nerve. There is a very remote chance your hearing might return, but it is highly unlikely.

So sorry,
TW