Guest guest Posted May 31, 2002 Report Share Posted May 31, 2002 I have real long hair...and all he did was shave a little around the ear underneath....and I had the full thing done... Not noticeble at all... But again...that depends on the dr. Hair shaving? > My hearing bones were stored in my mastoid cavity. My doctor choose not to > use them in my reconstruction so they are still there. I was glad he didn't > go back in to get them. I didn't want my hair shaved again (yea, pride...) Okay, I'm just full of questions today! What's this about hair shaving? Is it routinely done for mastoidectomy? And how much gets shaved? My hair is in a chin-length bob -- would the shaving be all that obvious, or do I need to think about cutting my hair shorter to facilitate the procedure?Grrrrr ... I really wish my doctor was more frank with me. I can handle the truth! :-/Thanks again,-- Madolyn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 31, 2002 Report Share Posted May 31, 2002 NOOOOOOO....dont cut it shorter......as i think it makes it more noticeable, unless you have it close cropped. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 31, 2002 Report Share Posted May 31, 2002 I hear ya Madolyn! This is a new one on me too! My daughter is having a hard enough time with some of the other aspects of this procedure ... but being a "somewhat vain" almost 17 year old girl -- shaving her head was something I hadn't even thought about and we sure haven't approached that subject!!! Yikes! Expecting the best outcomes for all of us!!!!! Dianne madolyna <madolyn@...> wrote: > My hearing bones were stored in my mastoid cavity. My doctor choose not to > use them in my reconstruction so they are still there. I was glad he didn't > go back in to get them. I didn't want my hair shaved again (yea, pride...) Okay, I'm just full of questions today! What's this about hair shaving? Is it routinely done for mastoidectomy? And how much gets shaved? My hair is in a chin-length bob -- would the shaving be all that obvious, or do I need to think about cutting my hair shorter to facilitate the procedure?Grrrrr ... I really wish my doctor was more frank with me. I can handle the truth! :-/Thanks again,-- Madolyn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 31, 2002 Report Share Posted May 31, 2002 Hey, my daughter's hair is over three feet long!! They did ALL the surgery through her ear canal by cutting it open and widening it and flapping back the ear auricle. Results, no hair shaving at ALL!! Praise the Lord!! We were also very worried that they would have to shave her hair a bit because of the possibility of cutting into the skull behind th ear. Kayla's Doc, knew we were concerned about this , especially of her "tender" age where lil girls become extremely aware of the appearance. If there is any shaving, it would ONLY be a very small section within abuot 1/2 inch from behind the ear, and only a verty small area would POSSIBLY be shaven. I have seen some kids who had a small area shaven and it REALLy is not noticeable at ALL. REALLY!! Dont worry until it happens!! "Trust in the Lord with ALL thine heart and lean not to thine own understanding. But in ALL thy ways, acknowledg HIM, and HE shall direct thy paths." AMEN!! WOrds to live by!!! Love Y'all!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 31, 2002 Report Share Posted May 31, 2002 Madolyn- I think it depends on exactly where they make the incision. By the I mean, how high up behind the ear. Does that make sense?! I've had it both ways. I've had an incision that started at the top of my ear but totally behind so no hair was shaved. In my most recent surgery, three weeks ago, the incision came up over the top of the ear a little bit so he had to shave some hair. I wish I could draw you a picture - I hope this makes sense. I, too, have a chin length bob and you can't see the incision or where the hair was shaved AT ALL. The spot where he shaved is about 1 inch by 1/2 inch. I literally have to lift my hair up for it to be noticeable. Don't worry about this too much. I think it sounds worse than it is. I really think that most doctors are sensitive to this and keep the shaving to a minimum. Hope this helps. We're thinking of you! - > > My hearing bones were stored in my mastoid cavity. My doctor > choose not to > > use them in my reconstruction so they are still there. I was glad > he didn't > > go back in to get them. I didn't want my hair shaved again (yea, > pride...) > > > Okay, I'm just full of questions today! What's this about hair > shaving? Is it routinely done for mastoidectomy? And how much gets > shaved? My hair is in a chin-length bob -- would the shaving be all > that obvious, or do I need to think about cutting my hair shorter to > facilitate the procedure? > > Grrrrr ... I really wish my doctor was more frank with me. I can > handle the truth! :-/ > > Thanks again, > -- Madolyn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 31, 2002 Report Share Posted May 31, 2002 Hi Madolyna, Since your hair is short, they probably won't cut it. If it were me, I would have them do an inch to 2 strip around my ear. It makes it easier to clean up after surgery. Larrys hair was cut during the first 2 surgeries and was not noticable. The 3rd surgery they didn't and his hair was already short but it was so hard to get the blood out so when he had his 4th surgery, I requested they cut his hair a little. Hope this helps. Michele --- madolyna <madolyn@...> wrote: > > > My hearing bones were stored in my mastoid cavity. > My doctor > choose not to > > use them in my reconstruction so they are still > there. I was glad > he didn't > > go back in to get them. I didn't want my hair > shaved again (yea, > pride...) > > > Okay, I'm just full of questions today! What's this > about hair > shaving? Is it routinely done for mastoidectomy? > And how much gets > shaved? My hair is in a chin-length bob -- would > the shaving be all > that obvious, or do I need to think about cutting my > hair shorter to > facilitate the procedure? > > Grrrrr ... I really wish my doctor was more frank > with me. I can > handle the truth! :-/ > > Thanks again, > -- Madolyn > > __________________________________________________ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 31, 2002 Report Share Posted May 31, 2002 Hi Madolyn, I am glad you are comfortable now with the idea of surgery. You have a lot of questions, I can tell you what I know. Mastoidectomy and tympanoplasty usually go hand in hand, but not always. You might also have a meatoplasty thrown in if you have a " wall down mastoidectomy " . They shave behind the affected ear about 1/2 inch around the ear, it will hardly show... Some surgeons may not shave at all, but it gives them a bigger area, even though the incision is close to the crease in your ear. The reconstruction of ossicles is usually prosthetic. I was amazed to read, in one post that the surgeon stored the ossicles in the mastoid bowl. It is interesting that you speak about your surgeon being vague. I almost feel that way about mine. He hasn't quite told me what to expect yet... I get a little bit each visit... I have definitely learned more here than I have in his office. Some of it is my fault in not asking. But you don't know the questions to ask if you don't know what you are in for. I had my packing out a few days ago, and he is pleased with the healing so far. I had a radical mastoidectomy/tympanoplasty and meatoplasty. I will now be going for a " cleaning " in 6 weeks.. " I did not know about " cleaning " as being part of this package. Just a little knowledge at a time I guess. Now I have an idea, because of this site, but I'd be really unimformed without it. Anyway, I am experiencing something most people are losing since my surgery, and that is my ability to hear a little bit now. I couldn't hear from the right ear prior to the surgery. I have no ossicles left, and reconstruction is iffy, but I do hear something now, and I am a little amazed by that, cause everyone else seems to hear less. Lynn Hair shaving? > > > My hearing bones were stored in my mastoid cavity. My doctor > choose not to > > use them in my reconstruction so they are still there. I was glad > he didn't > > go back in to get them. I didn't want my hair shaved again (yea, > pride...) > > > Okay, I'm just full of questions today! What's this about hair > shaving? Is it routinely done for mastoidectomy? And how much gets > shaved? My hair is in a chin-length bob -- would the shaving be all > that obvious, or do I need to think about cutting my hair shorter to > facilitate the procedure? > > Grrrrr ... I really wish my doctor was more frank with me. I can > handle the truth! :-/ > > Thanks again, > -- Madolyn > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 31, 2002 Report Share Posted May 31, 2002 Madolyn, My doctor, who was very conservative, shaved a quarter inch of my hair behind my ear. My understanding is that they generally shave if they are going to be going in behind the ear. It's to keep a sterile field so you don't get an infection. My hair is down to my waist and took me 2 years to grow it back out again. It wasn't really noticeable to others but I also didn't put my hair up to help hide it. Worse than the hair cut for me was a sterile gel they put in my hair on the side of the surgery. It was really difficult to get out of my hair after the surgery. Granted having a safe ear was the goal and it was acheived. And he didn't cut any more hair than he absoultely had to. But it was inconvienent. Jane >From: " madolyna " <madolyn@...> >Reply-cholesteatoma >cholesteatoma >Subject: Hair shaving? >Date: Fri, 31 May 2002 16:22:32 -0000 > > > > My hearing bones were stored in my mastoid cavity. My doctor >choose not to > > use them in my reconstruction so they are still there. I was glad >he didn't > > go back in to get them. I didn't want my hair shaved again (yea, >pride...) > > >Okay, I'm just full of questions today! What's this about hair >shaving? Is it routinely done for mastoidectomy? And how much gets >shaved? My hair is in a chin-length bob -- would the shaving be all >that obvious, or do I need to think about cutting my hair shorter to >facilitate the procedure? > >Grrrrr ... I really wish my doctor was more frank with me. I can >handle the truth! :-/ > >Thanks again, >-- Madolyn > _________________________________________________________________ MSN Photos is the easiest way to share and print your photos: http://photos.msn.com/support/worldwide.aspx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 31, 2002 Report Share Posted May 31, 2002 I had my hair bobbed about shoulder length for my last surgery, they shaved about an inch from around the ear. No one noticed, it was nothing. My stylist laughed about it. MY first surgery, I had gotten it layered all around about chin length and they didn't touch it. Angie >From: "madolyna" >Reply-cholesteatoma >cholesteatoma >Subject: Hair shaving? >Date: Fri, 31 May 2002 16:22:32 -0000 > > > > My hearing bones were stored in my mastoid cavity. My doctor >choose not to > > use them in my reconstruction so they are still there. I was glad >he didn't > > go back in to get them. I didn't want my hair shaved again (yea, >pride...) > > >Okay, I'm just full of questions today! What's this about hair >shaving? Is it routinely done for mastoidectomy? And how much gets >shaved? My hair is in a chin-length bob -- would the shaving be all >that obvious, or do I need to think about cutting my hair shorter to >facilitate the procedure? > >Grrrrr ... I really wish my doctor was more frank with me. I can >handle the truth! :-/ > >Thanks again, >-- Madolyn > MSN Photos is the easiest way to share and print your photos: Click Here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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