Has anyone received successful surgery on the NHS and in the low income bracket?
I am concerned about this and finding a specialist Surgeon near me in west sussex to Perform surgery and in good time considering the pain I am personally getting.
I have not been diagnosed officially but investigations are suggesting ES the culprit of my depresses of the last three years or so! I have solid lesion palpable but not visible on the site of Styloid. My left side neck. Fatigue and aggravation. I have tmj anyway. Got dyspraxia too.
If 100% ES then answers to my Q would b fab. Is there much wait for nhs surgery?
I am v new here. Look forward to responses. Happy new year too. Xxxx lisa
Hi Lisa,
Firstly we don’t have any names for doctors who are knowledgeable about ES on our doctors list- the nearest one that we know of is Mr Corbridge in Reading. That’s not to say that others couldn’t do the surgery- if you look for an Otolaryngologist/ skull base surgeon at any hospital nearer you, then they would be experienced enough to do the surgery, that is if they’re willing… some doctors unfortunately are sceptical about ES and whether surgery would help.
I’m afraid there will be quite a wait on the NHS for surgery, I’m sure you’re aware of how tricky things are getting for the NHS at the moment, and unless it’s vascular (and you find a doctor who knows about that!)then you wouldn’t get bumped up the list. I was diagnosed at a local hospital, where the consultant knew a bit but not much about ES, and wasn’t prepared to operate. But I started getting vascular symptoms, so asked for a referral to Mr Axon at Addenbrooks in Cambridge- all in all from the referral, initial appt., CT scan, results, then surgery it was about a 7 month wait for my first surgery, and similar to have the second once I decided I should go ahead with that. Obviously waiting times do vary over the country, but my surgeries were done in 2015 & 2016, and things are worse in the NHS now. If you’re able to find a helpful doctor they might be able to have a look for Otolaryngologists with shorter waiting times, but I’m guessing if you’re on a low income then travelling far might not be an option.
I’m sorry to not give you better news! Have you had a CT scan- that’s the best scan to see the Styloid processes and any calcified ligaments, so I’d suggest that as a next step if you’ve not had it already.