I already sent you a PM, but welcome to our "little" group. I really liked Dr. Danner even though I mostly saw Bartels. Both are professional and yet very "approachable". They both really go out of their way to make sure you are comfortable with everything. Both doctors work together in surgery. I had my prescriptions show up BEFORE my surgery so I didn't have to worry about getting my meds after the fact. A few days after getting home, I started to have more pressure and pain and the pain killers they gave me weren't helping. I called in to a 24 hour number they gave me, and Dr. Danner called me back and told me it was swelling and was expected and it was time to start my steroids. Bingo - the pain was gone.
Dr. Danner was also the one who came to see me in the ICU the day after surgery. I asked him if I could go home and he said "absolutely", and away I went. Surgery March 5th, home March 6th. Can't beat that.
That said, everyone is different. I think it's important to say that just because I had a great experience with the two doctors, others may have had problems. Probably the most important thing, if you decide to have surgery, is to call in right away if you start having more than just minor pain. The sheet they send you home with lists that as one of the reasons to call in.
In my opinion, you couldn't have a better team if you decide to have the surgery. My AN was just a little over 1cm, but was starting to give me grief such as vertigo, hearing loss (and strange vibrations in loud areas), and tinnitus. I also had a strange symptom that Dr. Bartels said he hadn't heard of before, but said it could be related to the AN. A few times, my vision would become fuzzy on the outer edges, like looking through a prism or something. No amount of blinking would fix it...just had to wait it out.
Guess that's enough for now. The tests are a hoot, especially when they pour hot water in your ear!
Ernie
