My non-verbal autistic son had surgery with Dr. Fargen Feb 11, 2026. He did exceptionally well. No swelling or pain meds except what they gave him the day of surgery. The symptoms are very minor compared to before surgery. We have only used homeopathy and cbd delta 8 for any discomfort he has shown which has helped. He had side affects from the anesthesia so we did have to stay overnight in the hospital until Saturday. He had 1 pseudo seizure post surgery on Monday but none since. Typically in the past when those start they come in clusters over several weeks. Dr. Fargen said many patients with Eagles have them and they stop after surgery.
He removed 3.3cm of the calcified right styloid which was broken in 2 pieces. The bone was mobile and moving around so it’s possibly why Ben had so much intermittent pain. I questioned about any remaining styloid since it was measured at 4.8cm but he said he got all of it and it wouldn’t grow back. He also lightly shaved the C1 to make more room. If Ben hadn’t had anesthesia side affects we would have left the same day and drove home Thursday.
Very impressed with Dr. Fargen and his team along with the hospital. I would highly recommend him as he specializes in helping patients with other medical conditions that make it harder to diagnose and treat. The other doctors and nurses love Dr. Fargen. The anesthesiologists were excited to watch him do the surgery because he has a unique way of balancing on one knee to get the angle needed to operate. We are very blessed to have had him as Ben’s surgeon.
@KarenG - I’m so glad it finally worked out for Ben to have his surgery. Dr. Fargen has an amazing reputation so the fact Ben did so well continues to endorse that. I hope his recovery continues to provide pain relief & that his life will be a calmer, more comfortable place now that his styloid is gone. Good that Dr. Fargen also considered his IJV & that C1 may have been impacting it & shaved a little off to create some extra space for it.
We don’t have many members who’ve been to Dr. Fargen because it takes so long to get an appointment with him, but I’m glad he was able to take care of Ben.
Please continue to let us know how Ben is doing. It’s been a long road for you & hopefully now it will be easier as Ben feels better & better.
That’s brilliant news, I’ve been thinking of you & Ben, so great to hear that the surgery has been done and wasn’t too traumatic for him. I hope that the seizures don’t return and you see improvements for Ben. Take care and God bless
I am so happy your son had good results. Can I ask you how long you had to wait to see Dr Fargen? I have been waiting over a year. My Neuro has communicated with him, and they respond they have tried to contact me, but there has been no call.
That’s seriously frustrating, @birdie1! I wonder if they have the wrong phone number down for you? The first telehealth appointment I had w/ Dr. Hepworth, I never received a link so I frantically tried getting through to his office to see why. It turned out they had the wrong phone number for me even though I’d manually filled out the intake info in the office with the correct phone #. Whoever put my info in the computer didn’t even get my area code correct. SHEESH!
I think you should contact Dr. Fargen’s office again & tell them you’ve gotten info that they’ve tried calling you, yet you’ve never received a call, & ask them to please check your phone number. Also, if you’re giving them a cell # make sure it’s not blocking them if/when they try to call you.
@birdie1 we waited 4 months to get the first phone call back and a few more months to schedule but we had some additional issues with our son so it took a little longer. If you live out of state they usually have the pre op appt on a Tuesday and surgery on a Friday in the same week. One of the issues it takes so long to get a phone call back is the nurse (Jennifer) only calls out of state patients on Fridays. Do you have the direct phone number for the nurse or is it just the main number? The last 4 numbers I have for the main number is 4081. Also did you send them your CT scan etc?
Hi, thanks for responding. They do have all my images. I also just have the main number and can’t get past the front desk. I keep my phone on me and answer everything that comes in on Friday, a front desk person gave me that information. And like i mentioned even communication with my neurologist that they will call, and saying they can help my condition. My Neuro said they are great people but just so busy. If they have called i don’t understand not leaving messages. And i would be willing to schedule months out. Maybe i will try a call again today, but unfortunately i feel i may need to move on.
Again, so glad you were able to get successful care.
I’m so glad it finally worked out for Ben to have his surgery. Dr. Fargen has an amazing reputation so the fact Ben did so well continues to endorse that. I hope his recovery continues to provide pain relief & that his life will be a calmer, more comfortable place now that his styloid is gone. Good that Dr. Fargen also considered his IJV & that C1 may have been impacting it & shaved a little off to create some extra space for it.
