ANA Discussion Forum

Pre-Treatment Options => Pre-Treatment Options => Topic started by: Amplified2000 on February 06, 2010, 09:29:27 am

Title: Intratympanic/Transtympanic Gentamicin Treatment to reduce dizzyness post-op?
Post by: Amplified2000 on February 06, 2010, 09:29:27 am

Has anyone ever heard of this treatment being used pre-op to reduce post-op dizzyness in AN patients? My Dr. has suggested it, he did mention it is not a normal procedure for AN patients but I was curious if anyone here had heard anything.. a search for Gentamicin turned up nothing.

I am considering it as I am having translab so I will be SSD regardless of what this injection does and if it can make post-op recovery easier/more comfortable I'm willing to take a needle in the ear.

Title: Re: Intratympanic/Transtympanic Gentamicin Treatment to reduce dizzyness post-op?
Post by: leapyrtwins on February 06, 2010, 10:30:36 am

Kevin -

I don't think all patients experience dizziness post op, I think it has something to do with tumor location, but I could be wrong.

I wasn't offered this option, but it may not have existed when I had my surgery (May 2007).  If it was available, I'm not sure what I would have done. 

As for the SSD, my doc (who obviously knows your doc) does a fabulous BAHA implant.  If you want to know more about it post op, just contact me.  I can't say enough about my BAHA  ;D

Jan

Title: Re: Intratympanic/Transtympanic Gentamicin Treatment to reduce dizzyness post-op?
Post by: sgerrard on February 06, 2010, 11:57:26 am

Gentamicin has come up before on the forum, so I was puzzled why search didn't find it. The first time I searched, I didn't get anything either. Then I searched for injection, and that brought up some Gentamicin topics. Then I searched for Gentamicin again, and it came up. My only hint: make sure you go to the main page before you search, so the search covers the entire forum, not just one section.

So anyway, it has come up. One woman in Sweden (catlover) had three injections prior to surgery, but they didn't seem to do anything, and the doctors decided to go ahead with surgery, not keep trying. Many are wary of it, because Gentamicin can cause hearing and balance problems. If you are having surgery anyway, it is not likely to cause additional problems. The idea is to make sure that any residual balance function is wiped out, so it doesn't cause you problems later.

Here is a later post by catlover: http://anausa.org/forum/index.php?topic=8865.0. There are some others by people who considered it, and probably a few others who did it. My impression is that it is not much help, and probably not relevant if you are having a translab that will remove the balance nerve entirely anyway.

Steve