Comments on: My Tympanoplasty, A Retrospective http://www.richardmondello.com/2008/08/23/my-tympanoplasty-a-retrospective/ Life of a Student at Tufts University Fri, 12 Mar 2010 04:30:55 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Randy http://www.richardmondello.com/2008/08/23/my-tympanoplasty-a-retrospective/#comment-1738 Randy Tue, 02 Mar 2010 11:23:05 +0000 http://www.richardmondello.com/?p=587#comment-1738 Well, I went back to the doctors, and he looked in my ear drum and says he see's a perforation. It may have been caused by my malfunctioning eustachian tube. He wants to give it a month and see what the hole does, and it it's still there, he wants to put a patch on it. Well, I went back to the doctors, and he looked in my ear drum and says he see’s a perforation. It may have been caused by my malfunctioning eustachian tube. He wants to give it a month and see what the hole does, and it it’s still there, he wants to put a patch on it.

]]> By: Randy http://www.richardmondello.com/2008/08/23/my-tympanoplasty-a-retrospective/#comment-1732 Randy Sat, 20 Feb 2010 13:37:00 +0000 http://www.richardmondello.com/?p=587#comment-1732 You always something's wrong when the doctor looks in your ear and says "Uh-oh." Turns out my graft is sticking nicely, nice enough to seal my eardrum at least. My doctor seemed more concerned now that the drum itself is now concave; a sign that the eustachian tube is not functioning in my right ear. Funny thing is he say's it's either temporary and will go away, or has always been there. He's been looking in my ear since I was 8 years old, so I'm hoping that he would have noticed it by now, and it's temporary. Otherwise, it's inevitable that the ear will re-infect, blow out a new hole, or both. I'm on anti-inflammatorys now, and have noticed a significant amount of drainage and noise, but the drum still feels pressure. Wish me luck, I'll report back! Well wishes to everyone who's posted! You always something’s wrong when the doctor looks in your ear and says “Uh-oh.”

Turns out my graft is sticking nicely, nice enough to seal my eardrum at least. My doctor seemed more concerned now that the drum itself is now concave; a sign that the eustachian tube is not functioning in my right ear.

Funny thing is he say’s it’s either temporary and will go away, or has always been there. He’s been looking in my ear since I was 8 years old, so I’m hoping that he would have noticed it by now, and it’s temporary. Otherwise, it’s inevitable that the ear will re-infect, blow out a new hole, or both. I’m on anti-inflammatorys now, and have noticed a significant amount of drainage and noise, but the drum still feels pressure. Wish me luck, I’ll report back!

Well wishes to everyone who’s posted!

]]> By: Richard Mondello http://www.richardmondello.com/2008/08/23/my-tympanoplasty-a-retrospective/#comment-1729 Richard Mondello Thu, 18 Feb 2010 19:22:02 +0000 http://www.richardmondello.com/?p=587#comment-1729 Clark, I'm really sorry to hear that. You're in our thoughts. Let us know what happens. Clark, I’m really sorry to hear that. You’re in our thoughts. Let us know what happens.

]]> By: Clark http://www.richardmondello.com/2008/08/23/my-tympanoplasty-a-retrospective/#comment-1727 Clark Thu, 18 Feb 2010 12:06:21 +0000 http://www.richardmondello.com/?p=587#comment-1727 hello! got some sad news. my doctor told me that the graft they put in my ear slipped out from its position, i don't know why. he shall soon refer me to the ear specialist to see if i can undergo another tympanoplasty. he also told me there will be lesser chances that the graft will hold on if i decided to have another tympanoplasty because of the scars left by my first tympanoplasty. i really want my eardrum fixed. i'm still praying for it. hello! got some sad news. my doctor told me that the graft they put in my ear slipped out from its position, i don’t know why. he shall soon refer me to the ear specialist to see if i can undergo another tympanoplasty. he also told me there will be lesser chances that the graft will hold on if i decided to have another tympanoplasty because of the scars left by my first tympanoplasty. i really want my eardrum fixed. i’m still praying for it.

]]> By: Richard Mondello http://www.richardmondello.com/2008/08/23/my-tympanoplasty-a-retrospective/#comment-1721 Richard Mondello Sat, 06 Feb 2010 03:59:55 +0000 http://www.richardmondello.com/?p=587#comment-1721 Bobby, you're very welcome. I'm amazed every time someone says they enjoy these comments and posts. That story is awful, and I'm so sorry to hear this happened to you. Let us know if you have any questions or if you need anything. We'll all do our best to help. Just have hope that things are going to be okay. They will. Bobby, you’re very welcome. I’m amazed every time someone says they enjoy these comments and posts.

That story is awful, and I’m so sorry to hear this happened to you. Let us know if you have any questions or if you need anything. We’ll all do our best to help.

Just have hope that things are going to be okay. They will.

]]> By: Berm http://www.richardmondello.com/2008/08/23/my-tympanoplasty-a-retrospective/#comment-1720 Berm Fri, 05 Feb 2010 15:45:17 +0000 http://www.richardmondello.com/?p=587#comment-1720 I thought OMG I drank from a straw,I sneezed...Everything so far is ok. Its been since July and my ear feels ok. It feel full,but that is it. I can hear,swim...it takes time to heal. I thought OMG I drank from a straw,I sneezed…Everything so far is ok. Its been since July and my ear feels ok. It feel full,but that is it. I can hear,swim…it takes time to heal.

]]> By: Bobby http://www.richardmondello.com/2008/08/23/my-tympanoplasty-a-retrospective/#comment-1719 Bobby Fri, 05 Feb 2010 06:54:54 +0000 http://www.richardmondello.com/?p=587#comment-1719 First of all, thank you for this site, Richard. It seems all the medical sites that take up the top 200 listings of the search engines only focus on the actual procedure instead of answering the many questions that patients have following a tympanoplasty. I actually had a severe random blowout on my eardrum about 4 months ago that woke me up in the middle of the night. It's scary when you go to a well-known ENT and after looking in your ear he says,"Well, I've never seen that before." I went in for surgery and he discovered a cyst had attached itself to the back of my eardrum which required him to remove 80% of my eardrum. It's been one week since my surgery and I am dealing with the same healing anxiety that everyone else is experiencing. Every time I yawn or hiccup, I freak out hoping I didn't mess anything up in there. I haven't had a whole lot of pain or dizziness, but I have had the ringing, the popping of my ear when I swallow, and one symptom I never expected. I actually lost my sense of taste after my surgery. From what I've read, there is a nerve that runs behind the ear drum that controls your taste buds and can easily be damaged during a tympanoplasty which can cause temporary loss of taste. The annoyance of not being able to hear a thing is the main downside, though. Being a full-time musician, this is torture. My doctor didn't seem to be concerned when I called in to update him on my symptoms, so I will take that as a good thing. It's just the waiting game now. Thanks to all who posted here. This site is gold for "post-tympaniplastians". First of all, thank you for this site, Richard. It seems all the medical sites that take up the top 200 listings of the search engines only focus on the actual procedure instead of answering the many questions that patients have following a tympanoplasty.

I actually had a severe random blowout on my eardrum about 4 months ago that woke me up in the middle of the night. It’s scary when you go to a well-known ENT and after looking in your ear he says,”Well, I’ve never seen that before.” I went in for surgery and he discovered a cyst had attached itself to the back of my eardrum which required him to remove 80% of my eardrum.

It’s been one week since my surgery and I am dealing with the same healing anxiety that everyone else is experiencing. Every time I yawn or hiccup, I freak out hoping I didn’t mess anything up in there. I haven’t had a whole lot of pain or dizziness, but I have had the ringing, the popping of my ear when I swallow, and one symptom I never expected. I actually lost my sense of taste after my surgery. From what I’ve read, there is a nerve that runs behind the ear drum that controls your taste buds and can easily be damaged during a tympanoplasty which can cause temporary loss of taste. The annoyance of not being able to hear a thing is the main downside, though. Being a full-time musician, this is torture. My doctor didn’t seem to be concerned when I called in to update him on my symptoms, so I will take that as a good thing.

It’s just the waiting game now. Thanks to all who posted here. This site is gold for “post-tympaniplastians”.

]]> By: Randy http://www.richardmondello.com/2008/08/23/my-tympanoplasty-a-retrospective/#comment-1716 Randy Tue, 02 Feb 2010 21:40:29 +0000 http://www.richardmondello.com/?p=587#comment-1716 Hello...I never received an email saying that you replied, (I thought i had notifications enabled but I might have been mistaken) so sorry it took long to get back to you. I've been told that the graft seems to be in place, it's now a month after the surgery. My ENT says it looks like it is in place, but seemed concerned that it isn't healing more by now. Apparently I don't have long for the graft to start becoming living tissue, as opposed to just grafted dead skin, before it shrivels and will need to be removed. When I use ear drops in my bad ear I can taste them in the back of my throat not too long after, and I can tell there's still a hole my eardrum when I sniff too hard or go up a mountain (my left ear pops, my right ear doesn't need to.) I'm hoping that my ear just hasn't healed yet, but I have concerns... I'll let you know the later outcome. Hope all is well. Hello…I never received an email saying that you replied, (I thought i had notifications enabled but I might have been mistaken) so sorry it took long to get back to you. I’ve been told that the graft seems to be in place, it’s now a month after the surgery. My ENT says it looks like it is in place, but seemed concerned that it isn’t healing more by now. Apparently I don’t have long for the graft to start becoming living tissue, as opposed to just grafted dead skin, before it shrivels and will need to be removed. When I use ear drops in my bad ear I can taste them in the back of my throat not too long after, and I can tell there’s still a hole my eardrum when I sniff too hard or go up a mountain (my left ear pops, my right ear doesn’t need to.) I’m hoping that my ear just hasn’t healed yet, but I have concerns…

I’ll let you know the later outcome. Hope all is well.

]]> By: Clark http://www.richardmondello.com/2008/08/23/my-tympanoplasty-a-retrospective/#comment-1712 Clark Sat, 30 Jan 2010 06:26:24 +0000 http://www.richardmondello.com/?p=587#comment-1712 Thank you Berm.. by the way, i'm from the philippines... i'll keep you updated on my recovery.. i hope it'll be fine.. no infections, no complications.. Thank you Berm.. by the way, i’m from the philippines… i’ll keep you updated on my recovery.. i hope it’ll be fine.. no infections, no complications..

]]> By: Clark http://www.richardmondello.com/2008/08/23/my-tympanoplasty-a-retrospective/#comment-1711 Clark Sat, 30 Jan 2010 06:02:08 +0000 http://www.richardmondello.com/?p=587#comment-1711 thank you very much susan! i'm just kinda worried.. i hope my tympanoplasty will turn out to be just fine.. thank you very much susan! i’m just kinda worried.. i hope my tympanoplasty will turn out to be just fine..

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