tympanomastoidectomy surgery

[jeriorleans]

Has anyone had this surgery? Its a ear surgery neccessitated because there is a hole in the eardrum. Skin grows through the hole and can damage the ear bones and facial nerves. My son's ENT said he has to have this repaired immediatley. He is scheduled to see a surgeon next week. What precautions are usually taken to assure that the Wegener's is not reactivated? Will he have to go back on steriods? Will he have to come off the Imuran to rebuild his immune system?

[pberggren1]

I knew a guy that had this done many years ago but that is all I know.

[Dirty Don]

I had septum & Eustachian surgery in Dec. Doc upped my prednisone by 3 times normal amount then tapered on a 4 day interval till back down to current level.

[drz]

[QUOTE=jeriorleans;54265]Has anyone had this surgery? Its a ear surgery neccessitated because there is a hole in the eardrum. Skin grows through the hole and can damage the ear bones and facial nerves. My son's ENT said he has to have this repaired immediatley. He is scheduled to see a surgeon next week. What precautions are usually taken to assure that the Wegener's is not reactivated? Will he have to go back on steriods? Will he have to come off the Imuran to rebuild his immune system?[/QUOTE

Had this surgery years ago after a couple other ear surgeries. First was to repair hole in ear drum, second to try restore hearing by repairing bones in middle ear, third was to save my life due to mastoid infection from the cholesteatomas. At that time I got conflicting info from two top surgeons: One said operation would kill me from meningitis, other said I would die soon from meningitis without it. Flipped a coin and had the operation. Afterwards I still had recurrent cholesteatomas ( that is what the growth that grows into the ear and destroys everything is called--it is more than skin) that had to be vacuumed out every month for a year or two. Still need to get mastoid cavity cleaned out every six months or so but when other ear with normal hearing went deaf from GPA, the ear with many surgeries and little hearing didn't lose any, so that is what I got to work with at present. Often wonder if the lack of middle ear and scar tissue from earlier surgeries didn't confuse the Weg dogs so it could find how to take hearing on that side too.

[Sangye]

You found a way to confuse the Wegs dog, drz! Well done, you.