Please see my responses below:
1. Tinnitus - for me I had very mild buzzing on the left and now post op (I have no hearing now on the left due to the translab procedure) the ringing seems a bit worse and occasionally have from both sides. But I mostly ignore and not bothersome except with loud sounds. It seems as though the tinnitus increases when there are loud external sounds - like when I vacuum, so now I put an ear plug in my right ear. Its like the tinnitus is in competition with the external sound and goes away after! very odd.
Loud sound and even when i talk, tinnitus worsen and gives me headache. Still having this issue after 3 weeks. I dont recall what happened after my first surgery 16 years ago, but i know for sure i did get used to it after few months and i was fine until 6 months ago when this new issue surfaced.
2. I was never sensitive to loud sounds and no change post-op. I am just more careful on my right side with sounds now that I have no hearing on the left, as I dont want to damage my right side so more protective.
3. Titanium Mesh - yes I have a titanium Mesh (+6 screws and abdominal fat) not sure it is the same as a "plate" - perhaps changed after 15 years - UCSD -schwartz/Friedman shares the operative report online so I have a copy and read though all the details!
I did not remember anything called “mesh”, so maybe at that time only a solid plate and now maybe they think it is better to use a mesh. Now seems like there might be an option not to use any mesh/plate but just let the opening covered up with the scalp, which is what they had for me. I did ask the doctor before the surgery, if i could have the plate/mesh back, but then they decided during surgery not to put it back on, which I think they probably decided that it is best for me, however, not sure if because of that or not, I’m still experiencing either pain/pressure when sleeping with the back of head against pillows. When I am up however, it seem sot be OK. Some irritation and loss of balance when walking but Tylenol seems to help….I hope this will eventually go away, if not, it might not be the best thing to endure for long run.
Sorry it is difficult to sleep but understand you are just less than a week post op. I sleep on both sides without discomfort. With a really soft and fluffy pillow I was able to sleep on both sides a couple weeks after surgery, as I recall.
Wow - an international trip so soon after surgery! Good for you!
I also know that after few months after the first surgery, I was totally fine (with the total loss of hearing on that side due to TransLab). I went right back into weight lifting, running, bicycling, tennis, etc…, then 6 months later i started to have headache, more loss of balance, which was why i went back to see dr. Friedman.
I feel pretty fully recovered (maybe 95%) now 2 months post op - I started back at the gym, weight lifting and running 4 weeks post op so trying to get back into shape again! I lost a lot of muscle mass being so sedentary for 4 weeks.
So sorry you had a CSF leak - surprised it was after 6 months. I thought it could occur relatively soon after (days) the surgical event. Obviously not. what symptoms did you have? and how was it treated?
Can I ask why you chose House vs. going back to Friedman/Schwartz for the granuloma? And what symptoms did you have to seek medical care?
This is my take: When first having tumor, it is quite simple for doctors to decide to remove the tumor and so everything seemed to go as planned. When we start to have issues after the surgery, it might be a different ball game. Doctors then start to act differently, not like when they first saw you for the tumor issue, which was what I had experienced. Everything is rosy when there is no issue. Also, with my second issue, im sure due to the first surgery, it is not easy to find any doctor who would be wiling to open the old wound up like it was done for me last few weeks. Who would want to touch it? And who would you trust to do this the second time for you? The only option that I had was to go back to House Ear, which is by far the best place that deals with this type of issues in general, and the doctors there have worked on the same area for hundreds of times and they know how to deal with reopening the same incision and put it back after they are done removing the cyst. This time however, I think it might take longer to recover, probably due to 1). I’m older now so it would take longer to recover. 2). To open up the old wound to remove the titanium plate, it probably required more extensive cut and more invasive work around the scalp and skull so it might be that it would take longer to heal. I’m still feeling some tenderness and swelling around that side behind the ear, and the incision seems to be more prominently visible this time than last time.
Hope this answers your question.
