I had my surgery with Dr Samji in San Jose, Ca on July 8th.
My surgery was more complex than the CT scan showed. Dr Samji is an excellent surgeon and I feel very blessed to have found him. Dr Samji found that my styloid was actually fused to my hyoid bone. It was putting so much pressure on my carotid artery. Dr Samji, had to remove a small portion of the hyoid bone, and it was under so much tension that when he went to remove the styloid at the base of the skull it fractured, and then popped right off. Which was good he said.
Dr. Samji believes in removing the entire styloid, and ligament as they both are culprits in the calcification process. So I highly recommend Dr Samji as he really has the experience and skills required when seeking a top notch surgeon.
It has been a very tough recovery process, but I am starting to show some improvement. My surgery was 2 hours, as Dr Samji explained that he takes his time, how he had to maneuver my esophagus, tongue and monitor surrounding nerves, in order to remove the styloid and ligament successfully.
I can turn my head now without feeling like I’m going to pass out!!! I still have some swelling and Dr Samji told me that it can take up to 6 weeks for the swelling to go down and that it can take time for symptoms to get better due to swelling. So I am hopeful that things will keep getting better as time goes by. Dr Samji wants to see me in 6 months to discuss other side, as it is elongated. He was also willing to help with follow up CT scan with my medical group in my home town, so I don’t have to go through anymore frustrations. Praying that this surgery will do the trick and taking things one day at a time.
Thank you to all my eagle friends for encouragement, support, wisdom and my grateful happy dance that this surgery is behind me:) If there is anyone out there that has questions, please friend me and I will be happy to answer your questions in more detail.
That is great news. God bless Dr. Samji. It will be 3 weeks post op for me on Thursday. I still have a lot of swelling and pain too but it is getting better. My doctor said the swelling is normal too and I should start to turn the corner at the 3 week mark. Just getting your update gives me comfort. We will chat later. Take care.
Great to hear you are making good progress - how wonderful to know you were in experienced hands! God bless you and bless Dr Samji's hands! Lots of hugs!
eaglebaby,
Reading your post filled me with so much warmth and joy! I’m so happy you’re doing well
My case is bilateral as well and I go in on 8/9 to have my left side done first. My hyoid bone was fractured in a car accident in '07 and wasn’t caught during any of the examinations back then so the surgeon will correct that this Friday as well. He discussed having to remove a section of the tip of the hyoid because it has calcified along with the styloid that has extended downward to that level also. Dr. Forrest at OSU is pretty experienced, thank God, with ES also and is under the belief too that the removal of the entire styloid is the way to go. He put it to me this way. He said, “Have you ever heard of someone having 1/2 a gull bladder taken out?” I was like, "Take that thing completely out of me!!!"
Anyhow, I’m glad you’re on the mend! I’d like to send you a friend request so we can compare stories. I’d like to gather as much information as I can going into this! Knowledge and faith are power
I am very excited for both of you. I had the intraoral and my pain still comes and goes. 6 months out and I still get pain in my ear and itching, painful secretion build up in my cheek( not nearly as bad as before or as often) and sometimes a lump in my throat, again not often. Also, sometimes believe the ear pain is correlating with my stomach issues. This is on the left side so I am pretty convinced my vagus nerve is very much involved and it affects my stomach. No proof, but hoping one day to have the whole thing out and maybe I will have the proof.
Dr Samji and Dr. Forrest sound awesome.
Sorry, to be so long, last night was a bad night, first one in about 3 weeks.
Yes Emma, my hope is that someday we can convince these surgeons that the entire bone needs to be removed, or at least taken back down to its original 1 to 1.5 cm length. Why leave it there only to give it the opportunity to elongate again??? It makes little to no sense, eh??? Lol
I am so glad you have your surgery behind you even thought it was more complicated. Sometimes a scan doesn't show the whole situation as in your case and mine. I pray that you continue to heal and that each day you feel less and less pain. All we need now is the time and patience to wait for our bodies to heal. Thank you for your update on your after surgery progress. Take care of yourself and God bless you and help you have a faster and less painful recovery time.
Wow, it sounds like you had a very complicated surgery. I would think your recovery is going to be more complicated as well. Please take care. We are keeping you in our thoughts and prayers.
Hi AmyBlue, I’m not sure if you’re still on the site (hope you are).
I am a relatively new member and have been recently diagnosed with ES.
I know it has been some years since your surgery and from my reading of your progress on the site, it seems like you have a very successful recovery (truly hope that this is the case).
I would be really grateful if you could let me know who your surgeon was and also, how you are feeling now some 4 years post surgery.
Thank you and really looking forward to hearing from you!
