Hi,
I had trans-lab surgery at House Ear Clinic/St. Vincent Medical Center exactly 6 months and 2 days ago. Dr. House and Dr. Schwartz were my surgeons. Everyone with whom I dealt at House, St. Vincent's, and the Seton Guest Center were outstanding -- very professional and compassionate. I live in New Jersey and am delighted that I made the trip to LA. I was quite fortunate in that I experienced absolutely no nausea, dizziness, facial, or vision problems before or after my surgery; my only symptom prior to AN diagnosis was gradually diminished hearing. I don't know how unusual this is, but that's the way it was with me. My main post-operative issue was extreme fatigue. It improved gradually over the course of time; at five months post-surgery I was feeling almost back to normal. I can (almost) honestly say that now, 6 months out, I seldom think of my surgery except when I'm on this forum. I should also mention that I received my BAHA implant at the time of surgery. I started wearing the processor about a month ago (I have the Intenso model) and am happy with it. Since my brain had already adjusted quite well to my virtual SSD prior to surgery, it's taking a while -- probably a bit longer than those whose hearing loss was quite sudden -- for it to learn yet another version of hearing!!! Best wishes as you approach your surgery. Know that you are in very capable hands and will receive the absolute best of care.
