mastoidectomy

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

Welcome to the group. Recovery time depends on each

patient, but seems to average about 2 weeks. My

husband did not have a whole lot of pain after the

surgery, but I am sure that also depends on the

patient. My husband said the worst part was the

bandage around your head after surgery.

I've answered about as much as I can, but I am pretty

sure that people will respond in more detail about the

surgery. We have had a few members have surgery

recently.

Please let us know how your surgery goes, we do care.

Also, check out the bookmarks section, and the

archived posts. They contain a wealth of information.

Good Luck,

Michele

--- jberbach <jberbach@...> wrote:

> Hi,

>

> I am scheduled to have my first mastoidectomy this

> Friday. Any

> advice? What should I look out for? How long is

> the recovery time?

>

> Thanks!

>

>

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

-

I agree with Michele that the recovery time is about two weeks for the

worst of it. Depending upon the extent of the disease and the

procedure, they usually do some drilling so you'll have a lovely

headache for a few days after. In addition, you ear may be sore

behind where they make the incision. I'm not sure what else to tell

you. If you have more questions, let me know, I'd be happy to answer

them.

I'm having my 5th surgery this Friday also. I'll be thinking of you.

It's nice to know someone else is having surgery the same day.

Hope that helps.

-

> Hi,

>

> I am scheduled to have my first mastoidectomy this Friday. Any

> advice? What should I look out for? How long is the recovery time?

>

> Thanks!

[Guest guest]

Hi,

I had a canal wall down mastoidectomy with a cartilage

tympanoplasty about a month ago. I was back to myself

within a week. My surgery was more complicated than

expected and lasted five hours, I had to stay in the

recovery room for three hours because I woke up

throwing up from the surgery. The cholesteatoma had

destroyed all my ear bones and eroded my skull bone

exposing my brain. Even though we are all different in

what we can handle and I don't consider myself

she-woman, I felt better in a week. I know it's hard

but try not to worry too much. As far as advice goes,

don't push yourself to get better quicker, that will

make it worse, and keep all water out of your ear.

Don't be afraid to call the doctor if something

doesn't seem right. Best of luck!

Mancie

--- jberbach <jberbach@...> wrote:

> Hi,

>

> I am scheduled to have my first mastoidectomy this

> Friday. Any

> advice? What should I look out for? How long is

> the recovery time?

>

> Thanks!

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Dear & First of all good luck to both of you on Friday. I agree it is different for each individual. Being your first op Jen is a bit scary. I was more nervous on my second as the first one I was not even told nor did the doc know I had C-toma. You will need to take it easy for a couple of weeks. As said a bad headache is common and the incision can hurt a bit. Do not be scared to ask your doc for pain killing medication. Stick to a healthy diet, I also take zinc & Vit C tablets after an op...aides in healing. Remember the surgery is necessary and you are making the first step in taking control against this disease. Stay positive! Good luck to you both, and let us all know how you go Audrey Re: mastoidectomy -I agree with Michele that the recovery time is about two weeks for theworst of it. Depending upon the extent of the disease and theprocedure, they usually do some drilling so you'll have a lovelyheadache for a few days after. In addition, you ear may be sorebehind where they make the incision. I'm not sure what else to tellyou. If you have more questions, let me know, I'd be happy to answerthem.I'm having my 5th surgery this Friday also. I'll be thinking of you.It's nice to know someone else is having surgery the same day.Hope that helps.-> Hi,> > I am scheduled to have my first mastoidectomy this Friday. Any > advice? What should I look out for? How long is the recovery time?> > Thanks!

[Guest guest]

Two pieces of advise.

1. Plan to be in surgery longer than expected.

2. Don't be afraid, think of it this way; once they put you under, you won't wake up until they are done. The wait is harder on your loved ones waiting for the results.

I had my surgery early last month. For about 3 or 4 days after the surgery, I was pretty much useless but started feeling a lot better about 5 days afterwards. I went back to work 10 days after. I am supposed to keep water out of the ear and sneeze with my mouth open and am not supposed to blow my nose (not blowing my nose is a real pain) I am now looking forward to the "Sucking Out My Ear" that everyone is talking about when I go back for my six week check up.

Hang in there, we will all be praying for you.

Dave

mastoidectomy

Hi,I am scheduled to have my first mastoidectomy this Friday. Any advice? What should I look out for? How long is the recovery time?Thanks!

[Guest guest]

At 07:22 PM 05/06/2002 -0400, you wrote:

>had my surgery early last month. For about 3 or 4 days after the surgery,

>I was pretty much useless but started feeling a lot better about 5 days

>afterwards. I went back to work 10 days after. I am supposed to keep water

>out of the ear and sneeze with my mouth open and am not supposed to blow

>my nose (not blowing my nose is a real pain) I am now looking forward to

>the " Sucking Out My Ear " that everyone is talking about when I go back for

>my six week check up.

This was something that I was really apprehensive about....

....and it was NO big deal!!

So, don't lose any sleep over it or go through the white knuckle thing. It

was easy for me. Hope it is for everyone else.

Diane Brunet

http://www.sassysuds.com

http://www.inetworld.net/dlb2 (personal page...meet my family and me)

[Guest guest]

Excellent site Dave! Thanks for the link. It looks like the Mastoid Air Cells are behind and below the ear. I always assumed the little dent above my ear was where part of the Mastoid was removed. I guess not.

Thanks for the info!

Dave Littlecook wrote:

Someone was asking about the location of the Mastoid Air Cells. Maybe thissite will help. I think it shows the location pretty well.Have a good one.Davehttp://www.pennhealth.com/health/health_info/Surgery/mastoidectomy_1.html

[Guest guest]

Hey Dave,

Great illustration. Those of you that have had a mastoidectomy will notice when you run you finger down that bone behind your ear, well, part of it isn't there.

Michele

Dave Littlecook wrote:

Someone was asking about the location of the Mastoid Air Cells. Maybe thissite will help. I think it shows the location pretty well.Have a good one.Davehttp://www.pennhealth.com/health/health_info/Surgery/mastoidectomy_1.html

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

I thought the same as you. Isn't that the temporal bone above the mastoid then? And if so, do they remove part of that? Although I do think Larry's is lower and more in the mastoid region.

Michele

wrote:

Excellent site Dave! Thanks for the link. It looks like the Mastoid Air Cells are behind and below the ear. I always assumed the little dent above my ear was where part of the Mastoid was removed. I guess not. Thanks for the info! Dave Littlecook wrote: Someone was asking about the location of the Mastoid Air Cells. Maybe thissite will help. I think it shows the location pretty well.Have a good one.Davehttp://www.pennhealth.com/health/health_info/Surgery/mastoidectomy_1.html

[Guest guest]

Thanks Dave

I think I was the one who who originally asked about the mastoid. And these illustrations show it perfectly - back and down a bit, right next to ear canal.

Phil

Someone was asking about the location of the Mastoid Air Cells. Maybe thissite will help. I think it shows the location pretty well.Have a good one.Davehttp://www.pennhealth.com/health/health_info/Surgery/mastoidectomy_1.html

[Guest guest]

You've got me wondering now! Those incisions seem to run from the top of the ear right round to the bottom (I also got a much smaller incision in front of the ear). So why do they do need to cut way above the mastoid - Is that just to get the floppy bit of the ear (pinna) out of the way during surgery or maybe something they do to remove the canal wall?

Phil

Hi , I thought the same as you. Isn't that the temporal bone above the mastoid then? And if so, do they remove part of that? Although I do think Larry's is lower and more in the mastoid region. Michele wrote:

Excellent site Dave! Thanks for the link. It looks like the Mastoid Air Cells are behind and below the ear. I always assumed the little dent above my ear was where part of the Mastoid was removed. I guess not. Thanks for the info! Dave Littlecook wrote: Someone was asking about the location of the Mastoid Air Cells. Maybe thissite will help. I think it shows the location pretty well.Have a good one.Davehttp://www.pennhealth.com/health/health_info/Surgery/mastoidectomy_1.html

[Guest guest]

Dave

Those pictures are terrific. Thanks for posting this link

Lynn

Mastoidectomy

> Someone was asking about the location of the Mastoid Air Cells. Maybe this

> site will help. I think it shows the location pretty well.

>

> Have a good one.

>

> Dave

>

> http://www.pennhealth.com/health/health_info/Surgery/mastoidectomy_1.html

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Michele,

I think the outer bone is still there Michele. If I run my finger along the back of my rt ear, it really feels no different than my left ear, except I can feel the line of the incision. Otherwise they feel the same. I think in most cases, they just grind out the inner "air cells", but the bony shell that forms the outer part... is left intact.

Lynn

Re: Mastoidectomy

Hey Dave, Great illustration. Those of you that have had a mastoidectomy will notice when you run you finger down that bone behind your ear, well, part of it isn't there. Michele Dave Littlecook wrote: Someone was asking about the location of the Mastoid Air Cells. Maybe thissite will help. I think it shows the location pretty well.Have a good one.Davehttp://www.pennhealth.com/health/health_info/Surgery/mastoidectomy_1.html

[Guest guest]

Hi Phil, if they do a mastoidectomy, that is how the incision is done (behind the ear). It is the way they take the wall down as well as in a cwd. I don't think they can do that in transcanal approach. I also have an incision in the front of my ear. They did that during my first surgery, which was to be a stapedotomy...until they found the c-toma... My doctor tried to remove it "transcanal", but could not get it all. That is why I went back. and he did the mastoidectomy using what he called a "combined tympano/mastoidectomy".

Lynn

Re: Mastoidectomy

You've got me wondering now! Those incisions seem to run from the top of the ear right round to the bottom (I also got a much smaller incision in front of the ear). So why do they do need to cut way above the mastoid - Is that just to get the floppy bit of the ear (pinna) out of the way during surgery or maybe something they do to remove the canal wall?

Phil

Hi , I thought the same as you. Isn't that the temporal bone above the mastoid then? And if so, do they remove part of that? Although I do think Larry's is lower and more in the mastoid region. Michele wrote:

Excellent site Dave! Thanks for the link. It looks like the Mastoid Air Cells are behind and below the ear. I always assumed the little dent above my ear was where part of the Mastoid was removed. I guess not. Thanks for the info! Dave Littlecook wrote: Someone was asking about the location of the Mastoid Air Cells. Maybe thissite will help. I think it shows the location pretty well.Have a good one.Davehttp://www.pennhealth.com/health/health_info/Surgery/mastoidectomy_1.html

[Guest guest]

So maybe it is canal wall down when that piece of bone is missing?????

Michele

Lynn Witkowski wrote:

Hi Michele,

I think the outer bone is still there Michele. If I run my finger along the back of my rt ear, it really feels no different than my left ear, except I can feel the line of the incision. Otherwise they feel the same. I think in most cases, they just grind out the inner "air cells", but the bony shell that forms the outer part... is left intact.

Lynn

Re: Mastoidectomy

Hey Dave, Great illustration. Those of you that have had a mastoidectomy will notice when you run you finger down that bone behind your ear, well, part of it isn't there. Michele Dave Littlecook wrote: Someone was asking about the location of the Mastoid Air Cells. Maybe thissite will help. I think it shows the location pretty well.Have a good one.Davehttp://www.pennhealth.com/health/health_info/Surgery/mastoidectomy_1.html

[Guest guest]

Hi Lynn and

I've been trying some of this phrenology and I can't find anything missing but the bone at the top of the ear definitely bulges out more. It's not Mount Everest but it means that the top of my ear now touches my skull, which it didn't used to. Is this area the Temporal Bone? I'm picking up bits of information that suggest 'Canal C-toma' may be more likely to involve the Horizontal Semi-Circular Canal and the Facial Nerve (which was my experience). Would those features be up in the Temporal Bone region? I can find very little information specific to Canal C-toma - Can anybody here have any knowlege they can share?

Phil

So maybe it is canal wall down when that piece of bone is missing????? Michele Lynn Witkowski wrote:

Hi Michele,

I think the outer bone is still there Michele. If I run my finger along the back of my rt ear, it really feels no different than my left ear, except I can feel the line of the incision. Otherwise they feel the same. I think in most cases, they just grind out the inner "air cells", but the bony shell that forms the outer part... is left intact.

Lynn

Re: Mastoidectomy

Hey Dave, Great illustration. Those of you that have had a mastoidectomy will notice when you run you finger down that bone behind your ear, well, part of it isn't there. Michele Dave Littlecook wrote: Someone was asking about the location of the Mastoid Air Cells. Maybe thissite will help. I think it shows the location pretty well.Have a good one.Davehttp://www.pennhealth.com/health/health_info/Surgery/mastoidectomy_1.html

[Guest guest]

Hi Guys-

Interesting pictures, Dave.

As for the missing bone, I am missing the bottom piece of the mastoid

bone. I can tell when I feel behind my ear drum. There is definite

bone behind my right ear and none behind my left ear.

As for the incision being so high, my doctor told me that he had to

take some muscle out from up there to pack my eustachian tube when he

did my radical mastoidectomy. Like somebody mentioned, I had a hard

time chewing for a while after that because of sore muscles.

Anyway, good information!

-

>

> Someone was asking about the location of the Mastoid Air

Cells. Maybe this

> site will help. I think it shows the location pretty well.

>

> Have a good one.

>

> Dave

>

>

http://www.pennhealth.com/health/health_info/Surgery/mastoidectomy_1.html

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Michele,

I had a canal wall down. My surgery was a "modified radical mastoidectomy" and it is a CWD. The only difference between that and a "radical mastoidectomy" is that in the "radical", they also remove the wall where the eustachean tube is. It leaves an even bigger cavity.

Re: Mastoidectomy

Hey Dave, Great illustration. Those of you that have had a mastoidectomy will notice when you run you finger down that bone behind your ear, well, part of it isn't there. Michele Dave Littlecook wrote: Someone was asking about the location of the Mastoid Air Cells. Maybe thissite will help. I think it shows the location pretty well.Have a good one.Davehttp://www.pennhealth.com/health/health_info/Surgery/mastoidectomy_1.html

[Guest guest]

Hi Phil,

I think if you look at pictures of the bones, you will find that the mastoid and the temporal bones are almost the same bone. Just the mastoid is lower down, and the temporal bone is higher up... like where your sideburns and above the ear...

Your facial nerve runs through the inner and middle ear, and your semicircular canals sort of connect your middle ear to your inner ear. I had the same as you Phil, only I am sure yours was more extensive. I had a fistula into the lateral semicircular canal, and my facial nerve was dehised and "lying in it's horizontal position" over the "oval window". I am trying to imagine that, but that is what the OR report says...

Lynn

We should all sign up for an anatomy class LOL

Re: Mastoidectomy

Hey Dave, Great illustration. Those of you that have had a mastoidectomy will notice when you run you finger down that bone behind your ear, well, part of it isn't there. Michele Dave Littlecook wrote: Someone was asking about the location of the Mastoid Air Cells. Maybe thissite will help. I think it shows the location pretty well.Have a good one.Davehttp://www.pennhealth.com/health/health_info/Surgery/mastoidectomy_1.html

[Guest guest]

hi Lynn,

These are the things I would like to get some clarity on for the group as a whole. There is also a simple modified radical mastoidectomy and a handful of others. I wish we could get a list of all possible surgeries for c-toma, with a complete, simple description of each, such as what is left in the ear when all is said and done.

Michele

Lynn Witkowski wrote:

Hi Michele,

I had a canal wall down. My surgery was a "modified radical mastoidectomy" and it is a CWD. The only difference between that and a "radical mastoidectomy" is that in the "radical", they also remove the wall where the eustachean tube is. It leaves an even bigger cavity.

Re: Mastoidectomy

Hey Dave, Great illustration. Those of you that have had a mastoidectomy will notice when you run you finger down that bone behind your ear, well, part of it isn't there. Michele Dave Littlecook wrote: Someone was asking about the location of the Mastoid Air Cells. Maybe thissite will help. I think it shows the location pretty well.Have a good one.Davehttp://www.pennhealth.com/health/health_info/Surgery/mastoidectomy_1.html

[Guest guest]

LOL Lynn

Lynn Witkowski wrote:

We should all sign up for an anatomy class LOL

[Guest guest]

Agreed Michele, maybe there is an article we can find, I will look. I didn't know that there is also a "simple" modified radical mast... hmmm, it gets very confusing..

Lynn

Re: Mastoidectomy

Hey Dave, Great illustration. Those of you that have had a mastoidectomy will notice when you run you finger down that bone behind your ear, well, part of it isn't there. Michele Dave Littlecook wrote: Someone was asking about the location of the Mastoid Air Cells. Maybe thissite will help. I think it shows the location pretty well.Have a good one.Davehttp://www.pennhealth.com/health/health_info/Surgery/mastoidectomy_1.html

[Guest guest]

Hi Phil,

I call it the Van Gogh look. They cut all the way along the back to get

the " ear " out of the way so they can get to the important stuff. I didn't

have anything done to my ear canal but did have the mastoid air space

" rebuilt " and my middle ear space cleaned - the c-toma didn't leave much of

my hearing bones. Just a little stapes.

Jane

>From: " psmorris " <psmorris@...>

>Reply-cholesteatoma

><cholesteatoma >

>Subject: Re: Mastoidectomy

>Date: Fri, 2 Aug 2002 09:08:26 +0100

>

>You've got me wondering now! Those incisions seem to run from the top of

>the ear right round to the bottom (I also got a much smaller incision in

>front of the ear). So why do they do need to cut way above the mastoid - Is

>that just to get the floppy bit of the ear (pinna) out of the way during

>surgery or maybe something they do to remove the canal wall?

>

>Phil

>

>

>

> Hi ,

>

> I thought the same as you. Isn't that the temporal bone above the

>mastoid then? And if so, do they remove part of that? Although I do think

>Larry's is lower and more in the mastoid region.

>

> Michele

>

> wrote:

>

> Excellent site Dave! Thanks for the link. It looks like the Mastoid

>Air Cells are behind and below the ear. I always assumed the little dent

>above my ear was where part of the Mastoid was removed. I guess not.

>

> Thanks for the info!

>

>

>

> Dave Littlecook wrote:

>

> Someone was asking about the location of the Mastoid Air Cells.

>Maybe this

> site will help. I think it shows the location pretty well.

>

> Have a good one.

>

> Dave

>

>

>http://www.pennhealth.com/health/health_info/Surgery/mastoidectomy_1.html

>

>

>

>

>

>----------------------------------------------------------------------------

>

[Guest guest]

At 10:22 PM 08/01/2002 -0700, you wrote:

>Hey Dave,

>

>Great illustration. Those of you that have had a mastoidectomy will

>notice when you run you finger down that bone behind your ear, well, part

>of it isn't there.

Yeah, but it's great for storing the peanut butter when eating crackers in

bed at night. ;-D

Diane

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 4/11/2003 7:31:57 AM Eastern Standard Time, cholesteatoma writes:

I would suggest like Tom to check about the Mastoidectomy

Hello all. I don't mean to be a pain in the rump, but I've noticed "mastoidectomy" being used a little - I think - too broadly over the past couple of weeks. I tried to put a post together earlier, but I switched computers recently & lost a lot of bookmarks with my info links.

The thing is, the procedure that some folks are advocating to minimize recurrence is (I think!) the Canal Wall Down (CWD), or Radical Mastoidectomy surgery. A plain mastoidectomy is not always wall Down - I've had 4, tympanoplasty + mastoidectomy, & still have a Canal Wall Up (CWU).

CWD does lower your chance of recurrence more than CWU, although it's important to know that there are pros & cons to both. I used to have a good pros/cons link but I lost it. Off the top of my head, I believe you get a better chance of hearing reconstruction, less trouble with water restrictions, & you don't have the routine cleanings required with CWD when you have CWU. However, your odds of more c-toma/more surgery are higher with CWU. Then there's the meatoplasty (ear canal widening) with CWD, which some people don't mind at all & others freak out over.

I think CWU vs. CWD is a decision that will depend on your ear, your surgeon, & you, but maybe someone could post a clearer CWU vs. CWD description. Either way, "mastoidectomy" is a procedure that can take place with either type of surgery. If you want to get really complicated, there are also variations within the 2 surgeries!

The other big variable re: reducing recurrence of cholesteatoma is the skill of your surgeon. I learned that the hard way, via surgeries 1 - 3, but #4 was with a skilled otologist & now I'm hoping for the best.