That really makes sense. Ugh, this is so hard. I really feel so scared about all of this because even a short period of being unable to talk can ruin my practice (I’m a therapist in private practice and self employed-no talking means no ability to work). I’m going to meet with all the docs and pray on this. Thanks again. I really appreciate it. This forum is beyond helpful… especially on nights like this that the pain is keeping me up and I can’t sleep.
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Sorry to hear that you’re in so much pain & finding decision making difficult; I’ll join you in praying for the right decision!
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Thank you 
Me, too, on the prayer front.
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Hi! Any updates from your surgeon on his thoughts about TORS?
Hi Jules I hope your doing well. I noticed in another group. Dr Hackman is doing mostly external surgeries now. I asked him why and he said that some patients are not candidates. I’ll ask what inhibits certain patients next time I go at the end of the month. He also said that more of his patients complained of more pain with the transoral than the external. I must have been the exception. I only took one pain killer. I know Duke is referring all there robotic surgeries to Dr. Hackman. Also with the robot is a very long surgery. Mine was 9 1/2 hours( but he did remove my right thyroid also) vs around 2 to 3 for bilateral external. Also you may want to add to the doctors information that Doctor Hackman is one of the only ES specialist that is a microvascular surgeon. I know Dr. Hepthworth has a vascular surgeon assist. But I haven’t seen any others that do.
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I’ll make a note by Dr. Hackman’s name on the Doctors List. Thx for the info @adriene61!
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Thanks for that update & info @adriene61! Hope you’re doing okay?
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I’m great. Thank you for all you do!
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Hi Isaiah, do you have an update on Dr. Hackman in NC and how the robotic surgery works? I was looking for someone that performed the Transoral robotic surgery to discuss options and wanted to see what the outcome was on this particular doctor. I am still not even sure yet I definitely have ES, it was unofficially diagnosed by my orthodontist from imaging x-rays and he referred me to an oral surgeon. Here in TX though, there are not a lot of options. I did reach out to Dr. Chan to see about an initial consult, but I know you said she could be inconsistent, so will see what happens. Thank you!
I don’t think he uses the robotic surgery very often; quite a few members have had surgery with Dr Hackman recently but seem to have had external surgery. A doctor in Florida, Dr Jeffrey Scott Magnuson, Advent Health Medical Group Otolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery at Celebration, 410 Celebration Pl, Suite 305, Kissimmee, FL, (407) 303-4120 , has done robotic surgery too, although we’ve not heard of anyone having that recently I don’t think…
Thank you so much for the information, I have reached out to Dr. Magnuson and will see what he says. I appreciate your response. Bless you!
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@powersda, Dr. Chan is a fine place to start. Our members for whom she’s done surgery have had good outcomes. As noted, she has been inconsistent in her willingness to do ES surgery for some people. I recall she’s picky abt symptoms, & if certain symptoms are lacking, she won’t diagnose elongated styloids as ES. Please correct me if I’m wrong if you find this to be untrue after you see her.
Transoral robotic surgery has its benefits & detriments. It’s not as precise as manual surgery & has been known to erroneously leave bits of bone behind which need to be removed in a later surgery. This has also been known to happen w/ non-robotic surgery, but it’s usually by doctor’s choice not error.
Please let us know what you find out when you speak with Dr. Magnuson. If he’s been doing these surgeries robotically w/ greater frequency, the outcomes may be better.
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I will do this, thank you for your response back:) Again, appreciate everything! I will give an update if I end up doing a consult with anyone. Blessings.
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Hello! I had surgery by Dr H in October 2022. He does do the robotic surgery however only if your a candidate. He determines that’s by your scans and in person visit that’s required before he will do surgery. I opted for the external approach due to less risk and he also didn’t think the robotic would be a great option for me. I was surprised to learn that the robotic actually takes a lot longer to do as well. I didn’t want to me under any longer than I had to be. Wishing you the best in your journey! This forum has been truly a amazing for me!
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Thank you for your reply back. There is so much risk to consider and then getting the right Doctor is critical. I have not heard back from one person about a consult, so will continue my search. Has anyone used Dr. Osbourne out of LA area in CA? I saw his website and he was very transparent, he seems very good although is a good distance away from TX. Appreciate all the input. God bless!
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We are considering Dr. Annino out of Boston area, Dr. Osborne in LA (saw someone else mentioned him), and a Dr. David Cognetti in Philadelphia. My son is only 18 years old and has a 5.7cm on the left and 5.6 on the right. His styloid on the left is almost completely calcified. Doctor’s in MS are baffled. We are not sure he is headed for surgery- but are ready for him to be out of pain. He has had pain for a while now and we have tried new pillows, mattresses, Physical Therapy, had him checked for TMJ syndrome, and finally after a 3D CT have an answer. Please
Advise!!! Any advice appreciated.
Hi Pcrowe,
Welcome to our forum! I’m sorry your son is suffering w/ ES at such a young age. Our youngest member was 12 when he was diagnosed. His mother wrote a book (Connecting the Dots by Sherri Jonas) about her experience trying to find a diagnosis for his symptoms which began when he was 8. It’s a quick read & available on Amazon if you’re interested.
You’ve picked 3 excellent surgeons, but I think you should also consider Dr. Hackman in NC as he will do one bilateral surgery as opposed to 2 unilateral surgeries. Since your son is a teen, his healing time should be quicker than for those of us who were diagnosed at significantly older ages. It would be great for him to be able to put ES behind him in one surgery.
What I tell new members is that ES symptoms can only truly be relieved by removing the cause of the symptoms i.e. the styloid processes &/or calcified stylohyoid ligaments. When the styloids elongate they can tangle with up to 7 of our 12 cranial nerves which can cause pain, digestive, blood pressure, heart, & vocal issues plus other problems. Getting the pressure off the nerves so they can heal is what gives ultimate pain relief. This surgery is the only cure for ES.
Using the magnifying glass search tool, type in “symptoms” & read the info in the first & third links that appear in the list that comes up. They’re written by our moderator Jules & give extensive information that will be helpful for you.
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