The specialists at the Mayo Clinic are truly top-tier when it comes to ear surgery—I've heard nothing but good things about their team. What kind of symptoms are you noticing that make you think it's come back?
Diana, would you mind sharing how the doctors confirmed the recurrence last time—did they go with a CT scan or an MRI? Also, I was wondering about your procedure—was it done through the oral route, or did they make an incision behind the ear? And how long were you stuck in the hospital?
Andrew White4 said:It honestly feels most frustrating when doctors are shielded and excused by that tired old argument—"mistakes happen, doctors are only human." While I agree that errors can occur, that shouldn't be an excuse to bypass accountability; responsible parties still need to face consequences. I’ve watched several televised segments covering this exact topic, and every single time, that same spokesperson from the American Medical Association pops up to deliver that identical, hollow explanation.
In my view, doctors are being given far too much leeway—it’s almost reaching an unreasonable level. There really needs to be actual accountability, which I believe should include things like a lifetime revocation of their medical license for those who are truly responsible.
Honestly, seeing him on screen just makes me feel sick. Instantly.🙂
Cholesteatomas aren't easy to spot—so many people have gone through the exact same uncertainty as wanderingrider3 and slyfalcon20 before finally getting a clear diagnosis. Slyfalcon20, I actually think I know which surgeon handled your case... Charles Cox4, I’m fairly certain no one would attempt both of those surgeries at once. Given what's going on with your ear, dealing with a cholesteatoma can turn into quite an extensive procedure—though, honestly, you usually don't know the full extent until they actually open things up.
As far as I’m concerned, I think it all comes down to the psychological aspect. Back when I was a kid, there was this recurring thing that happened every November—my neighbor, a massive guy who was actually quite humble, would bring a live cow over to be slaughtered right in front of us (even though we lived in a suburb). He’d just take an axe to its neck while we kids watched, completely fascinated 😠 and honestly, nobody even tried to stop us from looking 😢. Then came the aftermath—days of slicing, cooling, and butchering everything, including the organs, to make sausages... it was total chaos. I can still vividly recall that overwhelming stench of raw meat and blood. I suspect that’s why to this day, my stomach turns at anything that smells or looks even remotely like those moments. I can't even stand the feeling of touching raw meat 😢. Generally speaking, if the food doesn't remind me that it actually came from a slaughtered animal, I can manage to eat it. :-(
I’ve actually had an issue with the smell of meat—specifically red meat—since I was a little kid🙂. I can sometimes stomach chicken or turkey, though even that's hit or miss depending on the day. Honestly, just walking past a butcher shop makes me feel a bit lightheaded, let alone trying to cook or eat something like liver😲. A lot of people assume this is some kind of trendy vegetarian phase, but it really isn't. I've given it several tries over the years, but I just can't get past that specific scent and the feeling of blood . I don't mind deli meats or prosciutto, though😉
Can I ask a quick question? I might have missed this if someone already mentioned it—sorry if I did... tto know how much access people actually have to my records—like, could my dermatologist see things from my OB-GYN visits or anything my primary care doctor puts in there?
I'm glad you're feeling better. I have to admit, it seems a bit strange to me that a GP could pinpoint the perforation size while a specialist didn't catch it right away—though, to be fair, doctors can be hit or miss, as I've learned firsthand. Still, the healing process is so individual to everyone.
My own surgery turned out great because my surgeon was a top-tier expert, but my previous one was a nightmare. Beyond just the tympanoplasty (also known as myringoplasty)—basically patching the eardrum—it involved middle ear surgery that left me dealing with two days of vomiting and a totally wrecked sense of balance. I found out later that this is actually fairly common with middle ear procedures since the surgeon is working so close to the vestibular system. Unfortunately, doctors rarely mention this or will only give you a passing hint. Looking back, I know I would have been better mentally prepared if I'd known what to expect, which is why I always find value in listening to others' experiences—provided you take them with a grain of salt, since everyone's experience is subjective.
In my case, the patch job—the tympanoplasty—was done by taking a tiny piece of tissue from a specific spot (it sounds scarier than it is, like using fascia from the temporal muscle near the temple), prepping it, and using an underlay technique to tuck it under the eardrum. That’s just a simplified, layman's version of it, anyway. The procedure was done under general anesthesia, and they made an incision behind my ear, which involves "drilling" through the temporal bone. For me, that part was 😲 There is also an approach through the ear canal, but that's entirely up to the surgeon's preference. After a surgery like this, you really have to be careful about noise—avoiding sudden loud sounds, keeping water out, and so on. Being a DJ doesn't exactly make things easier for you.😉
vividpilot47 said:Enough of this crap. One doctor told me it was 1 mm, then my specialist claimed there was no perforation at all. He told me I could go swimming without a worry, but after I insisted he take another look, he suddenly found a 4mm perforation and said there’s zero chance it heals on its own. It’s been 2 months and nothing has changed. 😢I even went to see a doctor in Chicago who suggested it might heal spontaneously if I just waited six months. As for the surgery itself, it feels like a total scam. I have no idea who actually performed the initial procedure, and whenever I ask for info, everyone just gives me copy-paste answers from internet forums. My eardrum popped once before, but it healed perfectly within two months. This time? No luck. 😢..
That's why I'm asking: does anyone know if there are any alternatives to surgery? Or does anyone know someone who's actually gone through it and can share their experience? Going under the knife isn't exactly a walk in the park, especially when people are constantly second-guessing each other's heads. Damn.
Look, I’ve had that procedure myself, but the eardrum patching—tympanoplasty—was just one part of my overall surgery. There are several different types of tympanoplasty, and as I mentioned, how complex it is really depends on what caused the damage in the first place. On one hand, a hole in the eardrum might not be dangerous, but on the other, the surgery itself isn't exactly a walk in the park either. Here is a helpful link regarding eardrum perforations: http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/ear-problems/ As for the surgeon, I also recommend sticking with a top-tier clinic like Mayo Clinic—don't just let anyone perform this on you. In fact, I’d suggest having a specialist give you a definitive assessment on whether you truly need the surgery first.
vividpilot47 said:Look, there’s gotta be something out there to help a tumor heal faster. Most doctors don't actually know anything beyond what they find on Google. If anyone here has actually gone through surgery for this, I'd appreciate it if you could walk me through how the whole process works.
Surgery should be the absolute last resort. A perforated eardrum usually heals on its own—there isn't really a "magic pill" to speed things up, as it mostly just depends on your own body. However, if you're dealing with recurring perforations due to chronic infections or physical trauma, then surgery becomes a conversation worth having. By default, a hole in the eardrum isn't how things are supposed to be—it basically leaves a gateway for foreign objects to enter a space that should stay sealed off (to put it simply). The complexity and the eventual outcome of the procedure can vary quite a bit depending on what caused the initial damage, but it's certainly not a minor thing.
I ended up getting some blood work done because I was feeling pretty run down for a while—just constant exhaustion and fatigue... For the most part, everything came back within the normal range, except for these: AST 32 (8-30), [B]ALT40[/B](10-36), MCHC 356 (320-345),alkaline phosphatase 45 (54-119) and creatinine 55 (63-107), plus my CBC showed 4 unsegmented neutrophils (0-2) About a year ago, my alkaline phosphatase and creatinine were also lower than recommended—and honestly, what even is creatinine? Does anyone have any insight on this?🙂
Benjamin Mitchell5 said:Oh, please, don't listen to those vultures trying to pick your pocket..."in America they say"🙄that the trash is just out to rob you blind. I personally use the Optima Toric from Bausch & Lomb... they arrived from Italy in packs of six. A guy told me I could actually wear them for at least eight or nine months. Apparently, they used to be sold as three-month lenses, but to keep the price from spiking, they just rebranded them as monthly lenses while keeping the cost exactly the same. I paid for everything all at once $147.
Man, I pay for those same two lenses—just one pair $333😠 every single year😠.
I'm feeling a little confused about something. For a few years now, I've been wearing these soft cylindrical Optima Toric lenses—from B&L, I think—and honestly, they've been the best lenses I've ever used. Because of my astigmatism, my doctor recommended these specific toric ones; they’re a bit pricier than the "standard" options, and I usually have to wait about a month for them to arrive. So, I guess my question is—where do those silicone hydrogel lenses fit into all this? Are those actually the same thing? I'm just not quite following😕
Quick question for urbanscout50—and it’s a straightforward one—why do some people experience vomiting after surgery? In my case, I had a middle ear procedure that lasted about an hour and a half to two hours, and once I woke up, the nausea was intense, followed by nearly two days of vomiting. They mentioned it could be due to the nature of the surgery itself—since you're working near the equilibrium center and all that—but my gut feeling is that it was actually the anesthesia. I had three much lighter surgeries back when I was a kid, and I never dealt with any vomiting then. Is there any way to prevent this, or at least make it more manageable? Honestly, the whole experience was just a nightmare.🙂
Thanks for those links—I’ve come across a few of them already, but these are actually quite helpful. I've already had my surgery. Even though the recurrence rate is lower for my specific type, I still find myself feeling a bit anxious😲. No symptoms at the moment, though.... I dealt with frequent ear infections as a kid too, and from what I've gathered, most people dealing with cholesteatoma have struggled with chronic ear issues either then or even now. How did you end up getting diagnosed? Did you experience any symptoms, and did you go through with a CT or an MRI to confirm things? In my experience, this isn't really something you can just let sit in your ear😠.