Just had SURGERY with Dr Kamran Aghayev (Bilateral styloidectomy+C1 shave)

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Surgery finished approx 4-5 hours ago. Surgery went fine, though a bit complicated duo to my anatomy, but no complications spotted so far (I will make a big post within a couple of weeks to share all the info about the experience and what it was like with Dr Kamrans team. In short, has been absolutely great so far! Most importantly to know for you guys probably: I’ve been nothing but happy about my decision to choose Dr Kamran Aghayev instead of taking the free styloidectomy in my home country.

Anyways: the full “what to expect from Dr Kamran Aghayev” will be in another post.

Woke up in a lot of pain though, as they don’t use opiods. The pain from surgery is pretty intense. Hurts a lot writing this post on the computer. I will have to be very very tired before hoping to get some sleep. Used to pain though, so its manageable. If I was truly in severe pain, I could ofcourse get something to take it away.

Anyways, any generel tips/tricks I need to know right now/the next days/week?

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Thank you for the update so soon after your surgery, @IJVman! I’ve been thinking about you today & prayed your outcome will be fantastic!

If they offer you over the counter pain meds, take them. No pain meds at all may not allow your pain level to stay tolerable. Ice, ice, ice your neck - 15 min-20 min. every couple of hours & sleep w/ your head very elevated for the first few days to a week or more to help reduce swelling. For now, listen to your body & take it very easy. Short walks are good, but so is resting when you feel tired.

I’m really glad to know your surgery went so well & hope your pain stays tolerable. If you feel good enough once you’re out of the hospital, maybe you & your family can do some sightseeing around the area. I hope you can!

I look forward to your update in a couple of weeks. :hugs:

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Of course, I’ll share everything I can to help as I have been helped :slight_smile:

I get a paracetamol-drop every few hours by the nurses

Anyways - the ice pack thing, I actually Thought they would give it to me here, since I asked if I should buy one from home. Maybe the assistant just didn’t feel like ice packs were good or necessary - but I take it that you know that ice helps and had no side effects on the healing process from hundreds of post operation posts? :smirking_face: or maybe other doctors who use them?

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@IJVman so good to hear things went well. I found it helpful to support my head with my hand/arm when rising and lying down. Keeps some of the hard lifting off the neck muscles. Thinking of you and praying for an uneventful recovery. We look forward to your updates when you are ready!

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Oh yeah, I’m doing that - no way I would ever have been able to sit up and lay down without pulling in my hair :sweat_smile:

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I’m glad that you’re safely though surgery, I think others have mentioned that his team don’t seem to give pain relief, I hope it doesn’t get too much… Most members find icing helps with swelling, as long as the pack is covered with a towel and not directly on the incisions, we’ve not heard that it’s inadvisable.
Can you eat okay or is that painful? I hope that your symptoms go with time as you heal :hugs: :folded_hands:

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@IJVman - There are a few doctors on our Doctors List who take the stand that icing post op slows healing. I find that ridiculous since icing reduces inflammation which helps reduce pain which helps increase a positive mindset which all help healing to progress more steadily. If you were to ice your neck for the next month, perhaps it would slow recovery, but I firmly believe that icing for the first week or two post op is a far greater help than hindrance to recovery.

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Definitely not eating “okay”, but I’m happy that I manage to eat other stuff than yoghurt. I’m getting normal nutrition in other words. It is difficult and it hurts some, and I basically has to move my chin with my hand to get the food into the mouth, but the actual chewing works enough to get the food down

like 16 hours after surgery I’ve been able to slowly and painfully eat the stuff they serve at the hospital this way, which is decent I guess :slight_smile:

Day 0 was really bad and terrible to be honest. Surgery was done around 20. Couldn’t sleep for the pain before 4.30 o clock, where I got like 2 hours, and then another hour or two later in the day.

This night I slept from 3.30-5.30 AM and then again from 8.40-10 AM. A bit afraid this lack of sleep slows the healing down…

But then again, a bilateral full decompression isn’t a small thing I reckon, so I hope what I’m experiencing is normal. The pain is still intense enough so that I really can’t dwell on the fact that I guess it sucks I can’t feel the surgery working at all, and I still have a headache along with the incision pain… My blunted emotions from the mild constant pain from before the surgery sure hasn’t come back to normal, now it’s just pain management and trying to watch television in this incredible nice hotel with a great private room and wiew.

Also, the CTV allegedly showed the surgery went fine, but I’m doing a blowing exercise as the IJV isn’t fully decompressed. Trying to think it all just takes time, and I just have to survive until the pain is low enough for me to get 4,5-6 hours of sleep a night, as that would make is less scary :slight_smile:

Anyways, aside from the whole sleep deprivation thing and diffuculy lying down due to the pain, I’m glad that it seems that the issues I have related to surgery I definitely expect to get better every day. I can move my arms, my tongue and chewing works (albeit not very well), i can stand and walk, and so on. So I’m still happy about my choice (in lack of other options) and just hopes time will show that it actually works on the constant headache…

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Maybe I should ask whether he minds me trying, atleast if it could give me a break/window to fall asleep within

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I’m sorry that you’re in so much pain, it’s hard to be positive and being tired too…a good idea to ask about icing, and about pain relief, like you say if you’re not getting any sleep then it’s not going to help you recover…keep strong, this is the best chance for you to improve and to get your life back, it is a big surgery and recovery does take time…praying that things improve soon :folded_hands:

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@IJVman - If you have over the counter pain medications (Tylenol-acetaminophen & Advil-ibuprofen) you could try those. You can alternate them i.e. take acetaminophen then 3-4 hrs later take ibuprofen. You shouldn’t do that for the long-term but for 3-4 days it’s ok. Add icing your neck to the regimen & sleeping w/ a good amount of head elevation, & your pain may get to be under better control.

I personally can’t imagine recovery from this surgery w/ no pain medication & no ice! You’re one tough cookie!

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They did give some pain medication (like paracetemol, though only small doses, and something else), but today I left the hospital and they gave some ibuprophene-like medicine and stuff for the stomach. Last night the nurses helped me with something to sleep on at 2 AM, as I had only slept 5-6 hours in total since the surgery (=2 hours each night+a nap). Slept 6 hours this last night which was great! It is still getting better everyday. Only the first 12 hours ish it seemed crazy that no very strong medication was given when I was paralyzed ny pain basically. But they just do things differently here and avoid opiods if possible. Would’nt say anything should take their decision on behalf of the medication, as I know that they will give patients opiods if the patient really can’t manage without it. They have done it before.

Buying an icepack to try that:)

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I’m glad that you got some sleep last night, I hope that this improves…are you staying somewhere comfortable? :folded_hands:

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I hope the ibuprofen type medicine & ice help a lot w/ relieving your pain, @IJVman! I also expect you’ll sleep better being away from the hospital. :heart:

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@IJVman Honestly I can’t imagine having to go without narcotics for the first couple of days. I was off them by day 3 but really needed them prior to that. Ice was definitely my friend. You are one tough cookie. Glad you are getting some rest.

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Glad it went well. So happy for you. I’m going next week. Praying it helps me.

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What’s the stuff for the stomach for?

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The stomach pill is just to protect the stomach

I’m sure surgery will go well, like mine did!

Had a flareup from flying/driving back home, but I’m getting back on track - Still hoping/expecting time will help a lot

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Ok. Thanks. Glad you’re getting better.

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I had surgery on the right side in July 2025, in Russia, with a neurosurgeon who did it for the first time. Immediately after the surgery, I had a 70% positive effect, but it only lasted 2-3 weeks, and gradually all the symptoms returned. But they didn’t remove my digastric muscle ,stylo-hyoid muscle either, and very little of the transverse process of C1 was resected- only 5 mm(and the vein was apparently compressed again, fibrous tissue/scar tissue). Dr. Kamran Aghayev removes muscles and removes more C1. Now I’m thinking of going to Dr. Kamran Agaev. .I hope Dr. Kamran Agaeev is doing his job well and everything will be fine.

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