Hi, I am new on the site and live in New Zealand (land of Orcs and Kiwis). I am still in the diagnose stage at my local hospital here in Auckland but the specialist I am dealing with is reluctant to pursue a surgical solution, even though a contrasting CT showed I have bilaterally elongated styloid processes - both about 50mm (2 inches) long.
Does anyone know of any doctors in New Zealand that are competent in ES surgery?
I have been living with the pain for several years and really need it to be fixed.
Thanks
We don’t have any doctors in New Zealand on our ES Doctors’ list but your best bet is to look for a surgeon who does skull based surgeries. Some ENT doctors do this, some doctors who specialize in cancers of the neck/throat area do as well.
You can look in the Newbies’ Guide on this site for professional articles about ES that indicate surgery is the only “cure” for this crazy syndrome & give those to your current doctor to read. In addition, you could ask if your current doctor could refer you to a surgeon who specializes in head & neck surgeries. Some people opt to leave their country & go to the nearest specialist in another country. I know this would be very expensive & not an option for many people.
I’m attaching the appropriate ES Doctors’ List for you to read over. I wish I could help you more.
Hello
My name is Irina and I live in New Zealand Wellington region. I have been diagnose last year 2018 with Eagle Syndrome. Cone beam CT showed elongated styloid process on the right side. Doctor think a steroid injection into the right stylohyoid calcified ligament would be worth trying to see if this settles down my pain. If so, this may last six to nine month. Often it returns but he found that after two or three injections the pain seem to gone long-term if this indeed the problem.
I saw your post on this site and have a question about the doctors. Did your find any information about the doctors in New Zealand that are competent in Eagle Syndrome surgery?
Thank you
I hope Lofty99 replies & has found someone who can also help you. It’s tough being in a country without any easy to find resources for a rare condition like Eagle Syndrome. I will pray that you will find someone who is familiar with ES & is able to help you. Unfortunately, surgery is the only true “cure” for ES & the majority of people on this forum who’ve tried alternative treatments to help w/ pain have found that it only provides temporary results. Most of them have ended up having surgery in the end. The information I gave Lofty99 still applies. Try to find a skull-based ENT surgeon in your area (these are often doctors who specialize in cancers of the throat & neck.) A head & neck surgeon would also know that area of the body & be able to operate there successfully.
Please let us know if you find someone to help you so we can add a doctor in NZ to our list of doctors’ who are familiar w/ ES.
Hi Irina
I am in Auckland, and have both sides elongated (50 and 60 mm): I am being seen by an ENT doctor at Auckland hospital who says that there are surgeons in Auckland capable of doing the surgery but for over a year now they have been shunting me from one department to another (still waiting after 7 months to see the Oral Health Team at Greenlane) so it looks more like ‘I don’t want to do this surgery, can we get this rediagnosed as something else’
Thank you for your reply, Lofty99. I will be praying for both you & Irina. How frustrating for you! I was sure hoping your ES had been taken care of by now. Again, I will emphasize - advocate for yourself. Try to get in to see a skull-based surgeon who works in the area of the neck or throat. In the US we have doctors that specialize in cancers of the throat, larynx, voice box, etc. These are the ones who seem to be willing to do ES surgery & are the most accomplished at it here.