Compression of internal carotid artery by elongated styloid process

Best wishes, Jan. Thinking of you & will be praying for you :hugs: :pray:

Prayers are coming from the US, too! Hope your symptoms go & you recover well & quickly. Looking foward to hearing from you when you feel up to it, @Jan!

Hi Dude, after travelling to Addenbrookes in Cambridge I was told that I hadā€™nt got a bed!So we had to return homeā€¦6 hours of travelling.My new date for my operation is 4th August so not too long to wait now, iā€™m even more anxious now though! My daughter has got an overnight room so it will be nice to have her with meā€¦Jan

How disappointing, Jan! Such a shame you traveled so far to be turned away once you got there. Iā€™m really glad your surgery wasnā€™t postponed for long. Maybe call ahead before the next one to make sure they have room for you.

I hope the time seems to pass quickly until Aug. 4!

Such a shame you had it cancelled, I hope that the next date goes ahead. My 2nd surgery was cancelled, so I can sympathise with youā€¦

Hi Jules, was it Mr Axon that did your surgery?

Hi, thank you Isaiah, yes I will phone, they have a meeting at 9.00 so Iā€™ll phone after that time.They could have phoned me and we could have gone back home, never mind, hopefully all will go well this time!

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Yes he did, you donā€™t always know if youā€™re getting a bed until you get there with the NHS, if an emergency comes up they can still send you home :grimacing:

Hi Jules, was your carotid suppressed?
Itā€™s a bit nerve wracking waiting to have it done, iā€™m in a lot of pain and I think that you just want it done now! How long was your recovery? He will do the other side in the future but that side isā€™nt as badā€¦Jan

Thank you Isaiah, the op is scheduled for Wednesday 4th August, fingers crossed!

Iā€™ve added it to my calendar, Jan, & will pray. :pray:t3::gift_heart:

My carotid was fine, but jugulars were compressed both sides. I didnā€™t find the recovery too bad; I couldnā€™t eat or open my mouth wide for about 10 days, & it was too uncomfortable to turn my head so I didnā€™t drive for 3 weeks, but pain wise I was okay with paracetemol, I could go for walks etc after the first couple of days. Having the drain in for the first night is great to reduce swelling, but a real pain to try to sleep with! Second surgery was an even easier recovery.

Did you have your ops externally Jules? How long after the first one did you have the second one?

Thank you Isaiah :hugs:

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Yes, as far as Iā€™m aware Mr Axon only does external. I had a year between the 2 ops; my symptoms werenā€™t as bad with the second side, so I though about it for a bit, but then there were the NHS waiting times once I had asked for it to be done!

Hi, sorry for the latest on my op.I had the surgery with Mr Axon at Addenbrookes, Cambridge 17 days ago.It went well and as far as I know he got all of the styloid out.It was a tricky op as it was pressing on my carotid artery and was pushing into my throat.I was really well looked after and spent the night in recovery with my own nurse!
The pain was bad for about the first week and I slept a lot due to pain relief.The cut is 6 inches externally and is healing very well.The pain that I have now is a deep ache where the muscle was dissected and sewn back together.My ear is numb but a small price to pay :blush:
My post op appointment is on 17th September and I am on the waiting list for the other side, which isā€™nt as bad.I have nothing but praise for Mr Axon and his team, he did what no one else I had seen (6 other ENT)
would even consider operating as deemed too dangerous.

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Hi Jan,

Thank you for this great post op information! Iā€™m so glad youā€™re doing so well & found Mr. Axon to be a good surgeon. I hope your healing process continues to move ahead swiftly. Your ear may continue to be numb for awhile but will likely gain back some sensation & your neck will recover well as the swelling continues to decrease. I agree with you - the residual numbness & other tidbits left over from my surgery are a small price to pay for regaining my life.

Keep listening to your body & donā€™t dive into any big projects for awhile (a couple of months) & youā€™ll be ready & rarinā€™ to go before you know it!

So glad that youā€™ve been able to have surgery & are recovering- it sounds painful but hopefully youā€™re over the worst nowā€¦Mr Axon told me when I saw him that heā€™s changed his surgical technique so doesnā€™t cut the muscle, but Iā€™m guessing that as your styloid was compressing the carotid he needed the extra room & visibility, obvs itā€™ll make healing take a bit longer for you but in the scheme of things will be worthwhile.
Hope that you keep healing well, & thanks for the update! :bouquet: :hugs: :pray:

Hi Isaiah, thank you and just to say that I continue to get better every day and the awful pressure in my throat has gone :hugs:

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Hi Jules, yes he said that he had to direct the muscle as he had to go deep.How long did it take for the scab to form properly? Itā€™s been 3 weeks but its still got a sticky substance coming from it.I hope that itā€™s not too long until I get the other side done.