What is Stapedectomy Recovery like?

I am getting a stapedectomy in August and would love to hear about other peoples experiences with the recovery. Tell me your stories! I am getting a little nervous

Hi @megwest512, I'm glad that stapedectomy is an option for you. But I can understand the increasing nervousness as the procedure date approaches. I'm tagging @mikepa @artscaping @whatdidyousaynaz @momisthebest714 @davekoh @rabbit10, who have experience with otosclerosis and specifically stapedectomies. I hope they will share their experiences and tips for a good recovery.

Meg, what concerns you the most?

I would appreciate knowing what a Stapedectomy is for and how it is diagnosed.Thankyou.
Ainsleigh

Good afternoon @megwest512. And thanks for the introduction @colleenyoung. As I understand your situation, you are beginning to be a bit anxious about your upcoming stapedectomy. Personally, I fight battles with tinnitus. However, I think you want to know about my sweet mother. Both my grandfather and my mother were deaf, what we called bone deaf, meaning otosclerosis. They wore hearing aids over their heads with batteries bigger than a cell phone. Their lives were greatly limited by their inability to communicate normally.

Although my grandfather passed before the stapedectomy was available, my mother was selected as one of the first patients to have this surgical procedure. I remember taking her to UCLA on the day. She was nervous too. She was always quiet but that morning she was "scared speechless".

Netting this story out......for my mother this was the most significant improvement to her quality of life. She smiled more, initiated conversations, and even handled the phone much better. I do recall asking her about the surgery. She did not mention discomfort. She did tell me that it seemed like the attending medical folks were stomping loudly around her stretcher in the OR. And she said she almost had a heart attack when an ambulance with full sirens blaring, passed by the window. She thought it was the end of the world.

I do encourage you to try and be calm and think about the "new life" that will be coming your way. I am happy and excited for you.

May you be content and at ease.
Chris

@megwest512 Meg, I have had the stapedectomy in each ear - one in 2006 and the other 10 years later. I was nervous as well as I was in my early 40's and knew no one to talk to. The otosclerosis came on so quickly that I hadn't had time to do any research. But the surgery itself is not a big deal. My only issue was some bleeding behind the ear where they took some skin. It was outpatient both times and the next day I was moving around and doing work, just not at the office because Dr. didn't want me getting jostled around. I wish I had Zoom back then! Anyway, after removing packing my hearing went from deaf (due to the stapes bone collapsing and covering the hole to the inner ear) to hearing loss that could be easily handled by my hearing aids. The biggest downfall with otosclerosis is that the sensorineural hearing loss piece doesn't come back. My loss stayed stable for a few years but has gradually gone from moderate loss to more severs loss in each year. So I have gone to more powerful BTE (behind the ear) hearing aids versus the ITC (in the canal) ones I started with. I have been watching the research being done on regeneration of inner ear heir cells (see Hearing Health Foundation hhf.org) in case they get to trials in my lifetime. I also am always on the lookout for new phone apps that help block out noise in loud environments. That will become the biggest struggle for you as well as hearing people with soft voices. But the surgery is absolutely worth it. You'll experience new challenges, but always take them on with a positive attitude. And I recommend joining the Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA hearing loss.org). They have been a lifesaver for me to connect with others with similar issues. Good luck and feel free to ask any questions. What hospital are you using?

@ainsleigh Ainsleigh, otosclerosis is a disease of the ear that can cause the bones in the middle ear to get brittle and effectively collapse. I've only heard of it affecting the stapes bone so far. When the stapes collapses, it ends up blocking the tiny passageway from the middle ear to the inner ear so that no sound is getting through to the cochlea. In a stapedectomy the surgeon takes out the old stapes bone remnants and replaces it with a titanium 'bone' that operates like the stapes did.

I had this surgery 20 years ago. It did improve my hearing in that ear tho it did not restore it. My doc has not suggested more surgery as yet. Guess I’m too old. I have severe loss in that ear and moderate to severe loss in the other ear. My aids are my life savers but nothing is as good as the ones God gave me at birth.

I assume you have otosclerosis in the left ear. Me too! However instead of a stapedectomy I had a stapedotomy in 2011 (they drill little hole and put in little device vs, replacing stapes). My hearing improved immediately and has remained stable with only typical hearing loss with age. I had no issues after surgery.
What does your doctor/surgeon say about this? We are not many that have this type of problem and surgery.
Here is an interesting article.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/stapedotomy

@megwest512 I have had a stapedectomy in each of my ears as result of otosclerosis - the left ear in 2006 and the right ear in 2015. Prior to each, I was almost deaf in the respective ear due to the old stapes collapsing and blocking the hole to me cochlea. So after the surgery, I immediately had improved hearing. However, otosclerosis is not reversible and the loss of hearing hair cells do not regenerate (yet!) so I will always have hearing loss of some level that would most likely deteriorate, which it has done.

After each surgery, I got an updated audiogram to see if my hearing aids needed to be changed or maybe adjusted. In each case they did to some extent. But I did experience some issues after the 2nd surgery and the doc had to go back in and make a minor adjustment (something was slightly unattached). The mention of gurgling concerns me. That almost sounds like something moving around? I certainly would get back to my surgeon about that. I have had some minor tinnitus since each, but it is not consistent.

I had a stapedectomy on my right ear 10 days ago. Packing has been removed and since then I feel like both ears are constantly clogged (even non-operated one). Is this due to just inflammation and drainage?