Hi i have recently been diagnosed with es. I have had a ct scan and will find out Friday if ill get surgery. Really nervous as if they dont it will mean i will have to leave my job due to health n safety. I have taken by ambulance 2 times to hospital because of not being able to catch my breath. What are my chances of getting the surgery?
Hi Penpal. It's hard to say about chances for surgery because it all depends on what your CT scan shows and the doctor's knowledge and opinions about Eagles. Do you know what the CT scan shows regarding your styloids? Doctors have different opinions about what constitutes an elongated styloid and what requires surgery. There is also an issue about the angle of the styloid and if it is compressing arteries or veins. Do you know if your doctor has experience with other Eagles patients?
Ill find out friday. But really pushing for the op as it is the only way im allowed to keep my job.
An operation is really the only way to cure Eagles, so I sure hope you get it. If for some reason the doctor says no, you can try to find another doctor to do it, so don't get discouraged. Keep us posted if you can. Good luck!
Hope it goes well, and you get an answer to surgery. The advice we always give is to read up as much as you can, to get a copy of research which helps your case- like evidence of symptoms, styloid lengths which can cause symptoms etc.- and take this with you if you need to argue your case. There's links to research in the ES Info section which might help.
Are you having a CT with contrast? that's the best way to find out if there's any compression to the blood vessels in the neck. Let us know how you get on!