HearPeers Heroes Mary Featherston Posted May 3, 2018 HearPeers Heroes Report Share Posted May 3, 2018 I'm about 2.5 weeks post surgery now and most of the pain has subsided. I can still feel the implant in my head, like a little alien intruder (some corner of my foreign head that is forever Austria, I guess) but for the most part it doesn't hurt. Except when I lie down. I've been waking up a LOT because if I roll over onto my right side, the implant sort of squishes in my head, and also my ear hurts. I expect the implant site to be sore for quite a while. I did look up a YouTube video of a CI implantation and holy moly folks, that's a complex procedure. And it involves power tools vs your skull, so, yeah, that's gonna hurt. (Don't, by the way, look this up if you're squeamish.) But what's up with the ear? Did anyone else have this experience? It's the top rim of my ear, when I touch it or roll over on it, it's still very sore. Do they clamp it to get it out of the way or something during the surgery? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HearPeers Heroes Mary Beth Posted May 3, 2018 HearPeers Heroes Report Share Posted May 3, 2018 Sleeping on the newly implanted side took awhile for me. When I did sleep on that side, I bent my arm in a V and positioned my ear in the open space inside that V. Worked great. Some people have used travel pillows etc to create that open space and avoid pressure on that ear and implant site until it is comfortable again. Good news is, it will be comfortable again in time. As for pain at the top of your ear, any chance it is still swollen? Some people have difficulty wearing BTE processors at first if their ear is still sore. Healing times seem to vary greatly from person to person. I was activated at 3.5 weeks each time so I’m not sure how it would’ve felt to wear a BTE processor at 2.5 weeks. By activation, it was comfortable for me. Mary Featherston 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HearPeers Heroes Mary Featherston Posted May 3, 2018 Author HearPeers Heroes Report Share Posted May 3, 2018 @Mary Beth - my activation is next week, it will be 3.5 weeks. I don't think the Sonnet will bother me, this is the very tip of the ear where the processor shouldn't be putting pressure on it. I don't expect any issues, I never did have problems with hearing aids. My ears are evidently pretty tough. :-) The actual sore part is where the top of the ear curls downward, so it's on the outside. I think the processor will be OK. I'm just wondering what would have caused it. The swelling is mostly gone though my ear is not sitting quite as close to my head as it did before so I guess there's probably still a bit of swelling there. It's got to be rough on the whole surgical site. Mary Beth 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leisa Posted May 3, 2018 Report Share Posted May 3, 2018 They have a very small area to go between major nerves @Mary Featherston without causing damage so you might still have nerve reactivity that will eventually settle down. I forgot to mention with my second surgery I lost my ability to taste sweet foods for about a fortnight, that didn't happen straight away it took a week following surgery for it to happen but thankfully it was temporary. sassychele02 and Mary Beth 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HearPeers Heroes Kara of Canada Posted May 3, 2018 HearPeers Heroes Report Share Posted May 3, 2018 @Mary Featherston I have the same thing with my ear sore at the top. It’s numb behind. So from what I’ve heard and experienced is they flip your ear and pull it tight with a claw type retractor to hold the site open during surgery. Last time I actually got a small cyst there. Some skin folded in on it self and healed that way. It got better quick. I hope that helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HearPeers Heroes Mary Featherston Posted May 3, 2018 Author HearPeers Heroes Report Share Posted May 3, 2018 Thanks, @Kara of Canada - I was wondering if that were true given how close to my ear the incision is. I have a friend (Canadian, actually, but in Ottawa, not Toronto) who mentioned that it's likely nerve damage as @Leisa suggests. So from all the input from you two and Jill, I'm going to say it's nerve damage caused by the retractor! I'm sure it will heal. Thanks! Leisa 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HearPeers Heroes Kara of Canada Posted May 5, 2018 HearPeers Heroes Report Share Posted May 5, 2018 Yes @Mary Featherston I hope so too. Mine is much better now. Mary Featherston 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HearPeers Heroes Mary Featherston Posted May 5, 2018 Author HearPeers Heroes Report Share Posted May 5, 2018 Another change last night: I've been able to feel the implant (by touching it, I mean, there was a bump over it and you could clearly feel the whole perimeter). But last night I was running my hand over it (am I the only one who did this? It's almost reflexive) and noticed that one side has settled in and is flat with the rest of my skull. The bump is just half the perimeter of the implant now. Progress! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HearPeers Heroes Kara of Canada Posted May 6, 2018 HearPeers Heroes Report Share Posted May 6, 2018 I can feel both of mine. The most significant is he. I take off the processor. Feels like it’s still there. But no pain or anything. Always been that way. Mine are a bump and not flat or level with the bone or skin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HearPeers Heroes Mary Beth Posted May 6, 2018 HearPeers Heroes Report Share Posted May 6, 2018 How much or little we can feel the internal implant after all the swelling and healing is done may in part be related to the method the surgeon used. Some surgeons drill wells, some surgeons use pockets, etc. There seems to be quite a variety of surgical techniques. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HearPeers Heroes Mary Featherston Posted May 6, 2018 Author HearPeers Heroes Report Share Posted May 6, 2018 @Mary Beth I wouldn't have guessed that there were natural pockets. Interesting! I downloaded the pdf of the surgical protocol that's sent with the kits and it seems to assume that it will need some drilling. The tool I saw on YouTube looked a bit like a Dremel tool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HearPeers Heroes Mary Beth Posted May 6, 2018 HearPeers Heroes Report Share Posted May 6, 2018 I don’t think it is natural pockets. Possibly if you search for minimally invasive cochlear implant surgery you may find more info. Some CI surgeons no longer drill wells. This link is from 2011 and since then the surgical techniques have changed even more. https://www.audiology.org/news/drill-or-not-drill-well-cochlear-implant’s-internal-device Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HearPeers Heroes Mary Beth Posted May 6, 2018 HearPeers Heroes Report Share Posted May 6, 2018 This describes the pocket in young children but adults have reported having it too. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25064628 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HearPeers Heroes Mary Beth Posted May 6, 2018 HearPeers Heroes Report Share Posted May 6, 2018 https://www.medscape.com/medline/abstract/26314323 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HearPeers Heroes Mary Beth Posted May 6, 2018 HearPeers Heroes Report Share Posted May 6, 2018 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/51463522_Subperiosteal_Temporal_Pocket_Versus_Standard_Technique_in_Cochlear_Implantation_A_Comparative_Clinical_Study Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HearPeers Heroes Mary Beth Posted May 6, 2018 HearPeers Heroes Report Share Posted May 6, 2018 There is a lot of variety in how our CI surgeons secure the internal implant. Even within the well group and within the pocket group. Both of my surgeons chose wells for my surgeries. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HearPeers Heroes Mary Featherston Posted May 6, 2018 Author HearPeers Heroes Report Share Posted May 6, 2018 @Mary Beth, thank you, that was interesting. I'm only now learning how little I knew about what they were doing to my head! In the end you have to trust your medical team, but this makes me curious. Now I have more questions for the surgeon on Wednesday. Mary Beth 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HearPeers Heroes Mary Beth Posted May 6, 2018 HearPeers Heroes Report Share Posted May 6, 2018 @Mary Featherston If they took an X-ray during your surgery, you may be able to ask to see it. I saw my X-rays and have pictures of them. It’s cool to see what exactly is in our heads now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HearPeers Heroes Mary Featherston Posted May 6, 2018 Author HearPeers Heroes Report Share Posted May 6, 2018 @Mary Beth, during? Wow - but come to think of it, I think the operating room was equipped for that. I had the CT scan ahead of time but that was more diagnostic. I'm thinking that my half-hour appointment with the surgeon may not be enough! But it will have to be, I have the audiologist for activation right afterward. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HearPeers Heroes Mary Beth Posted May 6, 2018 HearPeers Heroes Report Share Posted May 6, 2018 Yes, in the operating room. The images from the X-ray show the surgeon the placement of the electrode array. Not all surgeons or CI centers use X-rays during surgery. Both of my surgeons did and it was really cool to see the internal implant and the electrode array. Both surgeons were happy to bring the image on the computer screen during my follow up appts and allowed me to take pics or emailed a screen shot to me. Mary Featherston 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel the Stranger Posted May 7, 2018 Report Share Posted May 7, 2018 Interesting conversation. I have no idea what my surgeon did exactly in my ear. I'm going to take the CT Scans with me next Wednesday so he can explain to me a little bit more about the procedure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HearPeers Heroes Kara of Canada Posted May 7, 2018 HearPeers Heroes Report Share Posted May 7, 2018 This is my new implant. Left side. March 2018 Jewel 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HearPeers Heroes Mary Beth Posted May 8, 2018 HearPeers Heroes Report Share Posted May 8, 2018 @Kara of Canada How is your bilateral journey starting out? What have you noticed so far? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HearPeers Heroes Kara of Canada Posted May 8, 2018 HearPeers Heroes Report Share Posted May 8, 2018 It’s going ok. Voices are still muffled but I can hear and understand for the most part. Background noises sound just about normal. The birds sound great! Also I’ve noticed the magnet sticks to the housing of the implant as well as the the actual coil spot. Weird. Must be the way the magnet spins that is can stick anywhere. (DL-COIL) my D coil doesn’t do this. Mary Beth and Jewel 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HearPeers Heroes Mary Beth Posted May 8, 2018 HearPeers Heroes Report Share Posted May 8, 2018 The magnet does operate differently. It’s due to the difference between the internal concert and internal synchrony magnet designs. It was odd at first for me too. The concert has north and south magnetized poles top and bottom and so our coil magnets (marked with circles) just attract and are always centered perfectly. Doesn’t matter if we use a D-coil or a DL-coil with Sonnets on the Concert side. They attract in one spot, always centered. The synchrony has the rotating magnet that has north and south magnetized poles split left and right (instead of top and bottom). This means that there is a bit of wiggle room where the coil will attach. You will get great at centering the synchrony coil but it does work differently than the concert magnets. Synchrony magnets are marked with triangles. (Sometimes when you first put on the magnet on the Synchrony side at the start of your day, you may even hear a sound (if your concert side is already on). I had a tired brain again when my second side was activated until it sorted itself out a bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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