Swelling?

[Greg M]

Does the swelling of the AN eventually go down after CK, GK? I have read several things, it swells, it stays the same, it shrinks? Gee wiss does AN's do everything???!!! Greg

[cherrypiper]

mine went down in a month or two. the site where they took the fat from my tummy took about 4 months but you can barely see a scar there now. same on my head behind my ear. it goes away..........

[sgerrard]

Gee wiss does AN's do everything???!!!

Yes they do.

Seriously, ANs are notoriously fickle, and each one decides on its own course of action. Like the famous box of chocolates, you never know what you are going to get. Some ANs will swell up larger after radiation treatment, but most of those go back down to the original size within a few years. The main thing is whether they stop growing.

Steve

[macintosh]

Swelling is pretty common, but as Steve say, it's almost always transient. Here's some info from an abstract from an article in Neurosurgery: February 2006. The primary author is BE Pollock:

<Tumor expansion after VS radiosurgery rarely denotes a failed procedure, and the majority of patients only require further imaging. Approximately one third of tumors that enlarge will remain increased in size compared with the time of radiosurgery but will not show sequential growth. Additional tumor treatment should be reserved only for patients who demonstrate progressive tumor enlargement on serial imaging (2% in this series). >

Mac

[vjgfamily]

After surgery, the ear on my AN side stuck out further than the other one.  The doctor said it was intentional, because over time, the ear would recede back into my head.  He was right.  If anything, now the AN ear is sunken in more than the other...only noticable to me, tho.

Verl

[nancyann]

Veri:  My AN ear is still sticking out (I call it my 'elephant' ear) - it's been over 2 1/2 years since surgery for me.   How long before your ear went back to normal position ?
Always good thoughts,   Nancy

[vjgfamily]

Nancy, I think it was so gradual that I really didn't notice the ear sinking back into place (actually, it's sunken a bit more than the good ear by now).  I bet you'll see that it has sunken a bit more a year from now.

Did you have belly fat put in the hole in your head?  That's the substance that shrinks over time, pulling the ear in.

You can hide it pretty well with your long hair, I bet.  I did a little of that covering up with longer hair for the first couple of years.

Peace,
Verl

[nancyann]

Hi Veri:  Thanks for replying.    I don't think they used fat( I didn't have sutures anywhere but at the surgical site), I know they used Titanium plates, mesh, screws.    My ear hasn't moved back to its normal place at all yet.   How long post op were you before you started noticing a change in ear placement ?  ( I have cut my hair short, but am growing it back again to hide the ear bulge).
Always good thoughts,  Nancy

[vjgfamily]

Nancy, it was well over a year before I noticed any movement of the ear, and it was probably 3 years later that it appeared fairly normal.  Now, it's almost the same, but the AN ear is a bit more recessed (only noticable by me).

But, it sounds like you don't have a hole in your skull (mine's directly above where my ear connects to my head).  That's where they layered my belly fat to seal the opening.  They actually had to do it twice, because the first one sprung a leak.  Fortunately, I had plenty of belly fat left over...although I wouldn't have minded another fat-mining expedition.

I can't say for sure if yours will recede, due to the absence of a hole in your skull...but that's a good thing.

Peace,
Verl

[nancyann]

Hi Verl: I don't remember a 'hole' in my skull,  I had retrosigmoid (aka suboccipital), so I just have that long suture line.   Well, it looks like I'll be stuck with the elephant ear - oh well, no biggie, I'll just grow my hair to cover it ! !
Thanks for the info.  Always good thoughts,  Nancy

[vjgfamily]

Nancy, I'm sure it's a lot more noticable to you than to others.  Hopefully, in time, it will recess a bit.  I pray this is the worst of your worries!

Peace,
Verl