hearing return after 2 retrosigmoid surgeries!

[hruss]

hey all,

I had a hearing test done last week and it showed complete recovery of my hearing in my right AN ear! I have already had two retrosigmoid operations, unfortunately partial but still.

this is for mimoore, because i read recently you were asking about this!
Don't worry mimoore, just be patient and strong!

Have a great day!

Hrissy

[Jim Scott]

Hrissy:

The return of your hearing in your AN-affected ear is nothing short of miraculous!  I'm very happy for you.  As you know, this is unusual but, as you noted, hearing return can happen.    I'm so pleased to cap off the day with this bit of good news.  Thanks.

Jim

[MAlegant]

Hi Hrissy,
So glad to hear your news!  Good for you!
Marci

[Syl]

Hrissy,

Congratulations on the return of your hearing!!! This gives me hope more hope.

What was your hearing like before the surgeries? Is it better now than it was then?

Syl

[Kaybo]

Hrissy~

That is GREAT news!!!

K

[hruss]

thank you all!

Syl, my hearing before surgeries was intact! after them it was lower than usual, but i had no tinitus.

I posted this because i was to encourage you all to have patience!

Best wishes to all,

Hrissy

[leapyrtwins]

Hrissy -

as Jim said, your good news is nothing short of miraculous!!! 

I only had one retrosigmoid surgery and ended up SSD.

You are one lucky lady!

God Bless,

Jan

[saralynn143]

That is wonderful news!

I had a different surgery -- microvascular decompression for hemifacial spasm -- and single sided deafness is a risk, though low. I had very little hearing after surgery, but at eight weeks I tested with just slight low-frequency loss and speech recognition at 85%. My doctor thinks I have a very good chance of total recovery. I had slight tinnitus at first, but that has disappeared.

I have hesitated to post in the hearing loss forum since I had a different surgery, but I love miracles and just had to respond.

Sara

[hruss]

sara,

i just wondered what you surgery was like. did you have an AN? could you tell me more - sounds new to me and interesting!

thank you!
Hrissy

[saralynn143]

I did not have AN, I had a condition called hemifacial spasm, caused by blood vessels compressing the 7th cranial nerve. During a microvascular decompression, the neurosurgeon inspects the the facial nerve up to the brain stem and pads whatever vessels are found to be irritating the nerve. Loss of hearing is a risk because the 8th cranial nerve runs parallel to the 7th and may be stretched during the surgery. There is a great site at http://www.umanitoba.ca/cranial_nerves/hemifacial_spasm/index.html if you want to learn more. Trigeminal neuralgia is caused by the same thing, except the 5th cranial nerve is being compressed.

Sara

[jazzfunkanne]

How can that happen if your hearing nerve gets removed? all i can say there is a god and its a miracul

[mimoore]

Yeah Hrissy!!!!!! That is soooo great!
I had my hearing tested recently and there is nothing there..... my ENT said she has never seen it come back... did you have a hearing test and it come back with 0 and then you got something? You have peaked my curiosity!
Michelle
 

[NL]

Hrissy,

This is such great news! Thank you for sharing it!

I had retrosigmoid surgery almost three weeks ago and have lost quite a bit of hearing on the AN side, but won't know the full extent of it until my hearing test this week.

Before my surgery, I spoke to two other retro patients whose hearing also improved within 6 months, so I know that it sometimes does happen. I'm trying to be both realistic and optimistic about getting some hearing back, but it is very encouraging to hear your news!

Congratulations!

Nancy

[mimoore]

Wow Nancy, There hearing improved after 6 months - so after the surgery there was nothing and then it came back or maybe they had a little? That is interesting maybe I don't need to rush out just yet and get an aid?
Michelle 
Hmmmmmmmm, thinking with my unsquished brain

[hruss]

Thank you for the friendly posts!

I would like to answer to some of the questions aroused:

Jazzfunkanne, retrosigmoid is an approach your surgeons use when they would like to save your vestibular-cochlear (hearing) nerve. It is usually applied when you have very good hearing preserved, as was in my case - I did not have any problems, prior to your surgery. So the hearing nerve is in there; it is not taken out or severed as in translab approach.

Nancy, I did not have any problems with my hearing, although it proved later that I had had (and still have a considerable part of it in  ) an AN, prior to my surgery. I had had hearing tests before the consequence of surgeries, which showed NO hearing loss ans I had hearing test after the second surgery, that showed some hearing loss. But I have never had absolute hearing loss. Yes, it was somehow quiet out there with the AN (right) ear but still I had some hearing preserved. And after 6 - 7 months it improved. This is the same period you wrote your friends needed to have their hearing back, right? Probably, the time around 6th month post op is a crucial moment.

Mimoore, judging from my experience and the experience of Nancy's friends, I can conclude that it is a bit hasty to go on any hearing aid. Just wait a bit longer and see what the result will be.

Wishing the same luck as mine to everyone of you who suffered hearing loss!
Everyone deserves his/her self back equally!!

Best,
Hrissy