Operation Tomorrow

Preparation.
Royal National Nose Ear and Throat Hospital. London WC1.

Hearing tests...
Audio, bone conduction and a new one:- Auditory nerve function
To measure residual hearing.

Psychological readiness...
Managing expectations. It doesn't always work. Also often cases of being deaf for a short time, there is an emotional crash.
I can see this possibility.

Implant Choice.
Med El, surgeon wants better selection of electrode lengths, depending on the scarring.

Rehab...
"Turn On" 2-3 weeks after surgery.
4-6 weeks rehab involving:-
-Speech therapy.
-Hearing training.
-Implant software mapping.
Training and improvement up to 9-12mths.


Tests showed residual hearing absolute Zero. i.e. virus may have destroyed the auditory nerves. Measles and Mumps can do this. So further tested with electrodes.
If no auditory nerve function = no CI implant.

Test..
Electrodes inserted under local anaesthetic. Left ear - almost gave up looking, some throat spasm, then a small crackle of static. Right ear "crackled" straight away.
This was the most scary point so far.

So Operation is back on.
Friday 23 Sep. Overnight stay.

Operation notes:-
Some hair shaved with incision behind ear. Stitches out in one week. Post op CT after a few days. Meningitis shot after 2 weeks (ideally 1 month before).
Operation time approx 3 1/2 hours.

Risks
1. Facial Nerve Injury - 1/300
2. Infection - the biggest risk and often leads to removal and later re implant - 1/50 (antibiotics taken during and post op).
3. Device failure - 1/500
4. Balance, taste, sensation loss, but all these should recover.

This is it. Pretty scared.