ANA Discussion Forum

General Category => Inquiries => Topic started by: phx on June 28, 2010, 09:00:24 pm

Title: Anyone had their skull put back?
Post by: phx on June 28, 2010, 09:00:24 pm

Just curious. I'm talking about where they did the surgery. My skull that they took, they didn't put back so whenever my heart starts pumping, I can feel it in this spot. Feels weird sometimes.

Title: Re: Anyone had their skull put back?
Post by: leapyrtwins on June 28, 2010, 09:59:45 pm

My skull was put back.

I also got to have titanium mesh, a titanium plate, and some lovely titanium screws to hold everything together.  And let's not forget about the fat they put in my head.

Different docs have different procedures.  Some of us have our skull "put back", some of us don't.  Some of us are fatheads, some of us aren't.

Jan

Title: Re: Anyone had their skull put back?
Post by: Sue Vogel on June 28, 2010, 10:32:40 pm

I'm not certain about putting the actual skull bone back because the high speed drills they use usually destroy the bone.  Unlike Jan, I didn't get any mesh or titanium - just the stomach fat which left a crater behind the ear.  I have had that pulsatile tinnitus on my AN side since about three years prior to surgery.  After surgery, the pulsating is constant and louder.  I am used to it so it doesn't bother me.  Mine is 24/7 and not just when my heart pumps harder.

SUE

Title: Re: Anyone had their skull put back?
Post by: DR on June 29, 2010, 06:26:37 am

I would think the skull bone issue would be related to the type of procedure.  I can't imagine the doctors leaving a 1" x 1.5" hole in the side of my skull over my right ear after my mid-fossa procedure!

I received some titanium "get well" gifts.  I don't know about a plate, but there is some mesh and a few screws that were included in the deal.

- Dennis

Title: Re: Anyone had their skull put back?
Post by: wendysig on June 29, 2010, 03:10:55 pm

My doc used the  translabyrinthine approach in which the mastoid bone is drilled away.  It (and whatever else was drilled away to get to my AN) was replaced with fat titanium plates mesh and screws.  Some docs just do the fat graft and close the operative site, some use titanium or some type of plastic or both.  I guess everyone has their preferences.

Wendy

Title: Re: Anyone had their skull put back?
Post by: Denise S on July 01, 2010, 02:42:19 pm

What type of surgery did you have?  I too had middle fossa and they did put the square part of my skull back in along with little titanium plates on an angle of  the corners with tiny titanium screws (I've seen it on a CT since my surgery).  I know they didn't use  fat from abdomen for anything.   Don't think I ever felt what you have.  I actually don't know that I've ever really had issue where the surgical skull area was (had my issues, but that was GREAT).