Hey Eagles, I just became a member and wanted to let people know that there is a great pair of surgeons who perform Eagle surgery (external) in Baltimore at University of Maryland Medical Center. They are Dr. Guardiani (ent), and Dr. Taylor (head and neck surgery). They do this surgery as a team together. They both saved my life from this horrible syndrome. I had the left side done in September and the right side done yesterday 11/18. I feel absolutely great just one day out of surgery. My symptoms were sore throat and fatigue along with a feeling like a low grade flu. I had been living with these symptoms since about April. Before that, I had a dull sensation of something being stuck in the throat on the left side for about 20 years. I now feel great with all symptoms virtually gone. I needed to get the right side (2nd surgery) done before I felt relief from the fatigue. The styloid process on the right side was pressing on the carotid artery a little and it wasn't on the left side. That is why I didn't feel relief from fatigue from the 1st surgery. I can't believe that I got my life back. Unfotunately I have 2 pretty big neck scars and some swelling and pain on the right side. But that will pass in the coming weeks. I hope everyone finds relief from this terrible condition.
Hi Jonsty,
Happy to hear that you found surgeons to help you and on getting relief!
Thanks for sharing their names.
Wishing you a speedy recovery:)
Lailei said:
Hi Jonsty,
Happy to hear that you found surgeons to help you and on getting relief!
Thanks for sharing their names.
Wishing you a speedy recovery:)
Lailei said:
Hi Jonsty,
Happy to hear that you found surgeons to help you and on getting relief!
Thanks for sharing their names.
Wishing you a speedy recovery:)
Thank you very much
Thank you for sharing. It is wonderful to hear such positive news.
I am in Baltimore, so this is great to know! Which doctor did you initially make the appointment with?
Do they deal with the styloid if it is compressing on the jugular? Will they take the styloid off down to the skull base?
Do they recognize that Eagles can cause neurologic symptoms as well as the traditional symptoms? (Looks like you had the more typical symptoms, so maybe you do not know.)
Kitty9309 said:
I am in Baltimore, so this is great to know! Which doctor did you initially make the appointment with?
Do they deal with the styloid if it is compressing on the jugular? Will they take the styloid off down to the skull base?
Do they recognize that Eagles can cause neurologic symptoms as well as the traditional symptoms? (Looks like you had the more typical symptoms, so maybe you do not know.)
Hi Kitty9309. I initially made the appointment with Dr. Guardiani, but you could make the appointment with Dr. Taylor. I do think they would operate if the bone was compressing the jugular but not completely sure. They left a little nub of the styloid in at the base on both sides. They took out about 4cm on both sides. I think they decided to do the surgery based on my ct scan and because of my symptoms. I had a horrible persistent sore throat as well as fatigue. They are great surgeons that really listened to me. I don't know if they recognize neurological symptoms or not. They did save my life and I am forever grateful to them. Good luck to you and hope you get relief.
Wow!! I can't THANK YOU enough for posting your experience and so glad you are feeling so much better! I am in Maryland as well, & have been trying to ignore my symptoms for 2 years (1 year of reading and watching this wonderful website, which I learned so much from). I have been treated pretty badly from doctors in Balto. that I decided when I was ready I would venture to Philli to Dr Cognetti to get them removed. So happy to hear we have some local surgeons here to help!!! Can't believe you feel so much better so soon after surgery, how awesome! Gives me hope! Have they done many of these surgeries? Was your's vascular Eagles? Was it out patient or did they keep you in the hospital? Sorry for so many questions.So elated with this news you have no idea! :)
Your welcome tbone. I think I had classic eagles but the right side styloid may have been a little on the carotid artery. They said it is hard to know for sure. The fact that I had fatigue seems to indicate that the styloid was impinging on the carotid artery. I am not sure how many times they have done this surgery together. I never did ask them. I just got a great feeling from them and I really trusted them. Both of my surgeries were out-patient. The first surgery in September, I had a lot of nausea from the anesthesia so I got home around 4:30 after it wore off a bit. The second surgery I had no nausea so I was home by 2:30. Surgery began around 8 AM both times. I had to be there by 6 AM. They also put external stitches on the incision. After a week, they remove those. The scar from the September surgery looks really good and the one from the other day will look the same. I am over the moon about everything. I never thought I would feel good again. Good luck to you.
I have an appointment with these doctors in two weeks and I am so afraid they will not be able to help me as I have vascular symptoms. It is good to know they were able to do your surgery even with some artery compression. Did they remove hyoid and ligaments as well? I would love to talk with you if you would be willing. I am on the Eastern Shore of MD and feel all alone. I have had a very hard time getting a diagnosis and have gotten very debilitated. I took in all the info and had every last symptoms of both classical and vascular Eagles syndrome and even then had a hard time getting anyone to help me. Bless her heart my nurse practitioner is my advocate and immediately said she would do whatever she could as it was obvious that I had this problem. She had not gotten a 3D CT scan done and was going to find out how if my ENT would not order one. Well he touched my tonsillar are and I had major symptoms- they called and ambulance. Then I got the 3D CT at the hospital who told me and wrote in the discharge papers that I had all the symptoms of eagles and elongated processes but they could not diagnosis me with Eagles because there was no ENT present, only ER docs and PAs! My ENT called UM though and got the appointment with Taylor but now I am wondering if I need to see a vascular surgeon too? Can an ENT really do this surgery if an artery is impinged?
Oh and I forgot. Will I need a CT of my arteries or a MRI of them? I think my doc or NP would order this for me so I could have it with me in Baltimore. I suspect I also have calcified ligaments and wonder how to find that out. I want to make sure that it is all known prior to surgery