The areas you highlighted on the scan reports you uploaded mostly dealt with things noted in your brain, thoracic spine, & lungs. The things noted about those areas of your body are most likely not related to ES, but at least some of what was observed is the natural result of aging which is likely why the findings were dismissed as being normal.
Is there any member successful with ES surgery while having neck fusions? Now, I am having nerve pain. My neck pain radiates up and down, tingling, and numbing in my body. I am sweating a bit. My husband said that I need to walk and move around, even with pain. I did walk, but my neck, face, ears, and tongue are in pain and flare up. The outside of my lower left throat is painful when swallowing water. I feel something move and click on the left side of my neck or throat. Both my ears are compressed. Everything starts with my neck and then radiates throughout my body. Feel like an 80 ur old lady, but I am not.
I’m sorry that you’re in so much pain; hopefully the medication you’ve started will help, but it does take time… Thanks to @TML for the work he’s put in checking all your scans, you now have more of an idea what is causing the issue- so it doesn’t look like your ES surgery was unsuccessful as such, it’s because of the clips that you’re in so much pain & feeling ill. So it’s not to do with your neck fusion, it’s the clips which shouldn’t be in. You’ve got to hang in there & try to get in touch with the surgeon who did your styloidectomy. Hugs for you ![]()
Jules, I do appreciate you, @TML, @Isaiah_40_31, and @Rosie (and others, if any, that I may not remember) because of getting a lot of responses
I will probably post another one later. I am heading to see OT for a review before putting me on hold for OT/PT. I got a message from a neurosurgeon assistant saying that I should continue with OT/PT. Right now, I feel my legs are weak with numbness despite the bloodwork, as the hospital doctors said, being normal, despite a few of them showing abnormal results. I watched a few videos of patient testimonials on Dr Osborne’s website. Two of them seem to be similar to what I am going through, especially the guy who loves car racing and the other who is a young veteran. Right now, I feel tired and weak. I just hope ES and neuro will focus on the true solution, not masking and band-aid methods. I don’t have the luxury time to wait. ![]()
I just left the OT outpatient. It is done, and they prefer for me to take care and consider the possibility of having another surgery on my left and right necks. It was only a brief discussion. Now I am outside with tears. It is sickening to my stomach. They said once I get this taken care of, I am more than welcome to return for OT and PT. It sucks. I feel like going back to square one.
@bdys - When is your next appt. with Dr. Osborne?
Often PT makes ES symptoms worse, though I can’t say about OT, so it’s likely best that you will not be continuing w/ PT, at least, until you get a diagnosis for your current symptoms & surgery or whatever is needed to help those resolve.
I want to send a msg to my ENT surgeon and neurosurgeon in my local area with a comparison before and after the surgery, but how can I type the wording to them that would get their attention? I have a CT scan w & wo contrast ordered from Dr O next week. Should I send the images and your thorough explanation? Should I reach out to the other ES surgeons while I wait until Dr O reaches out to me after he sees the images, and then decide on the option?
I think you should send your surgeon the picture on the right where @TML pointed out all your surgical clips. I’ve pasted, @TML’s explanation of what he sees your surgical clips doing below for you to copy & paste into the email for your surgeon as it is a good explanation of what is happening in your neck, & why TML thinks your symptoms are so bad.
Be prepared for your surgeon to “poo poo” TML’s explanation & tell you the clips aren’t causing your symptoms as that will likely be his response.
As far as contacting other doctors for an opinion, that is up to you. Are you thinking of Dr. Costantino since you have IJV compression?
Here’s another image showing that a surgical clip is in direct contact with your left ICA
Which surgeon are you referring to? Surgeon from my local or Dr O?
I would say something like this to the ENT surgeon who did your styloidectomy:
“Since surgery I have developed stroke-like symptoms that get worse with head/neck movements, that is consistent with pain along the left side of my neck. In early September I received a CT angiogram of my head and neck, and the CT report notes that I have surgical clips in my neck. I am concerned that the clips are causing my new symptoms. I have attached an image showing a surgical clip that seems to be in direct contact with my left internal carotid artery. My symptoms seem to be consistent with carotid sinus hypersensitivity, so I am worried that the clip(s) could be irritating nerves in the area and causing my symptoms”
I would send the axial photo instead, since most surgeons use the axial view rather than 3D models. So send them this photo:
@Isaiah_40_31 although it looks like it in the 3D model, I dont think there is any compression of the left IJV anymore, since the styloid has been trimmed, and C1 has been shaved. See this axial view showing it wide open at the level of C1, despite it looking cutoff in the 3D model. However, I think a surgical clip is right beside the left IJV at the level of C1 causing the 3D model to have difficulties rendering the IJV.
@TML, earlier you mentioned the IJV compression on the left. Now, you said there is no IJV compression. I think I see some axial and CT 3D images you sent that seem to have IJV compressing and rubbing between the surgical clips and ICA when moving neck. Correct me if I am wrong. ![]()
@bdys at no point did I say there was any compression of your left IJV. I said there is a surgical clip “touching” you left IJV. I said your right IJV is compressed against C1 and that you should consider a C1 shave on your right side to open up the IJV like they did on your left.
I’m not as concerned about a surgical clip touching an IJV since the clips are unlikely to provide that much compression. I’m more so concerned about the surgical clips touching your left ICA, as it does not take much pressure at all in that area to cause stroke-like symptoms. One of the clips looks to be in close proximity to where your carotid sinus nerve would be on your left carotid.
If a surgeon is going to open you up to remove clips, best to remove them all, but definitely get them off your ICA.
Regarding ES, I think your left side is perfect. A very shortened styloid and no compression of your left IJV at any point, just a clip touching it which is less concerning than the clips touching your left internal carotid. I think what you think is ES symptoms on the left are actually symptoms being caused by the clips. On the left there is no styloid touching anything nor C1.
@TML Alright. I still feel 99% of the ES symptoms. I can also feel something outside of the left throat pushing in and pulling when moving my neck and swallowing up and down, which leads to compression in both ears. My right side is also affected by the ES symptoms. Of course, the clips are obviously and clearly to be irritated and painful
I found and see what you said earlier about the couple clips in close proximity with my left ICA and other clips touching my left IJV.
Oops! My bad. Sorry for the misunderstanding. I guess what I circled isn’t the TP of the left C1 but perhaps a surgical clip in that area. I will delete/correct the image I annotated, @TML.
Your right side is 100% ES and your right styloid/C1 should be dealt with.
On your left side ES is literally impossible because your styloid is not touching anything. The only ES symptoms you would have on left is any lingering nerve irritation from when the styloid was full length or from the surgery. I am doubtful that any surgeon is going to touch your left styloid again because they are not going to agree with you that your left styloid is continuing to cause problems. I think all of your symptoms on your left that you are describing are real, but it’s all coming from the clips or nerve irritation from surgery. There is literally nothing else a surgeon can do regarding ES on your left - your left styloid is down to a nub and your C1 has been shaved. There’s physically no more decompression that can happen on your left. All that’s left are the clips.
Can I ask the surgeon to remove the clips on the left side?
Yes, definitely ask him to remove the clips.




