I have compression of the IJV by the process on a cervical vertebra and my styloid is too close to it so there is not much space for the nerves to go through. The Eagle's doc I saw told me this and he is willing to remove the styloid but not sure that will do the trick completely. It sounds to me that I need the styloid removed and something done with the vertebra to get it complete relief. And also although I know he takes the styloid back I am a bit worried about having an ENT surgeon do this. Should's this be done by a vascular surgeon? Please help me find someone. I am on the East Coast I just don't know what to do.
Who did you see? I live in MD also
Yep a ENT but be sure your doc has done this surgery before. Don't be worried as vascular surgeons are separate from ortho and ENT docs. Don't worry. Do you live in a large city where you have experienced docs?
I had vascular eagles on my right side. After the surgery, the doctor told me the styloid had been compressing the carotid artery and the jugular vein. The symptoms I had from the vascular eagles disappeared immediately after the surgery. (I had some other pain, but that's a different story.) The surgeon I had was an ENT.
I know my case is different from yours, but from what I've read, ENTs almost always do the surgery, even if it's vascular. I think there was one case a couple months ago where Dr. Forrest was going to have another doctor in the operating room - I think the other doctor may have been vascular. But it turned out they couldn't work out the schedule so Dr. Forrest did the surgery himself.
I sure don't want to tell you something wrong, but if the doctor you went to is experienced in Eagles, my inclination would be to take him up on what he said. Try getting the styloid out and see how much that helps.
Thanks for the responses. I get the impression he thinks the eagles surgery could help the neck pain but that my vascular symptoms are coming from the compression of IJV from the cervical vertebra. I sw someone here that got their cervical vertebrae shaved down at the time they go the styloid out but I think the person that did the surgery was a neurosurgeon. This doc has lots of experience doing Eagles surgeries but as I was leaving he said something about not believing in carotid eagles which shocked and concerned me? He is a very well known guy.
I also live near university of md where there is a throat surgeon that does this surgery with a skull based surgeon together. They have not done as many surgeries but I keep wondering would it be best to have a skull based person in the OR when I have this done?
I think you have good questions. But I don't know if anyone here can answer them with any authority. Maybe you should see the doctors at the university of Md and see what they have to say too.