inserting fat packs post op

[jennifer7]

Hi all
The latest recommendation for my headaches is to have a fat pack placed between the dura and muscle layer.  The thought is that the muscle pulls on the dura everytime I turn my head and this is causing my headaches.  Does anyone have opinions or suggestions regarding this?
On the positive side--the fat comes from me, so maybe they can tighten all my loose spots
Jennifer

[Kaybo]

WOW!  I have never heard of this but I would be MORE THAN WILLING to donate some fat!!   

Seriously, hope this gives you some relief!!

K   

[lori67]

Kaybo, you beat me to it!  I was going to offer to be a donor!   

But, no, I've never heard of this being done, but if it does the trick, then it sounds great!  You'll have to keep us posted!  Good luck!

Lori

[Janet]

Yes, I had my scar revised by Dr Ducic at Georgetown University. He took a fat graft from my hip and place it along the scar line. I have had no problems from my AN scar site since the revision.

[Kaybo]

Just curious, did they pack your head with fat in the original surgery?

K 

[nftwoed]

Hi;
  Thanks for posting that about fat packing the dura. I've never heard of such.
  I wonder if same could be done with botox, but, then again, the fat comes from your own body and seems more likely to be accepted as not foreign.
  Best wishes here in relief!  : )

[jennifer7]

Thanks for all the offers to donate, that is so thoughtful 
I did not have any fat packed the first time, it is a different Dr this time who is very proactive I'm just terrified of another surgery and I had gotten a cervical epidural that had been helping the headaches so I've been putting him off until the headaches came back last weekend as an all day event
He said it is an easy procedure, done in the am and I should go home in the afternoon, better than a life of headaches---it sounds good on paper, now I just have to convince myself
Jennifer

[Kaybo]

I have another question (of course - I ask LOTS of ??'s)...will this fat dissolve? I have a big dent behind my ear that wasn't there right after surgery - slowly evolved - the Dr told me it was b/c the fat that they used had dissolved. I remember this so well b/c my next statement was, "Well, if it dissolves on my head, why doesn't it dissolve on my belly??" of course he laughed and replied, "Only YOU would ask that!!" (I don't think I would be the only one - I bet Lori would ask that too!)

K 

[Cheryl R]

No Kaybo,    I asked it too.      I had a lot more fat put in my eustachian tube with the CSF leak surgery and I asked my surgeon in April if it would ever dissolve!   It has been 5 years since it was done and I wondered if something goofy could start coming out the eustachian tube.        I never thought of till later that it may have sounded dumb as then why doesn't our tummy fat go too!      That is where it needs to go big time!                      I was also told I had a  very large eustachian tube.               
                                                       Cheryl R

[Kaybo]

So does it not dissolve in the eustation tube?  Clarice and I were just wondering about the whole eustation tube thing (well, I don't know if she was "wondering" but we were talking about it!) - mine was DEFINITELY packed with something - do they not regularly do that now?  I did NOT have a CSF (about the only thing!) but it was still done...Wonder if they used fat and if it is still there??

K   

[leapyrtwins]

Just curious, did they pack your head with fat in the original surgery?

K 

I, too, wondered this - as I'm one who had an abdomenal fat graft. 

I had retrosigmoid, supposedly notorious for headaches post op, but thankfully don't have any.  No CSF leak post op for me either.

Hope the fat packs help,

Jan

[lori67]

According to my operative report, my eustacian tube was packed with muscle and fat.   My doctor explained that eventually the fat will dissolve (not sure if that's the right word, but at any rate, it lessens) and that when it's used for packing, it's sortof a temporary arrangement.  I guess it buys time for the muscle to get situated in there, but they know it won't all remain where they put it.  (I think mine went back to where they took it from    ). 

It's totally a guess on my part, but maybe in this case, they're hoping that by putting the layer of fat in the place where the bone used to be will allow the muscle time to reconnect somewhere other than the dura.  By the time the fat begins to dissolve, ideally the muscle will be well healed and shouldn't cause any more problems.  Like I said, it's a guess, but it makes sense to me! 

Jennifer, you'll have to let us know - tell your doctor we're all wondering.   

Lori

[jennifer7]

That's a really good question I'll have to ask when I see him next month, I never would have thought of it dissolving. 
Do you think it is absorbed into your circulation and redeposited in your belly?  If so what's the sense of having it removed the first time?