MORE SURVEY RESULTS:

Surgical Information Provided by Respondents

	
	

Respondent #1: Surgery 1: left shunt, Foothills, Calgary, Alberta 
(no symptoms after 4 mos); Surgery 2: Chemical Labyrinthectomy (Gentamicin), 
Peter Lougheed, Calgary, Alberta (dizziness greatly reduced/stopped)

Respondent #2: 30 surgeries: exploratory tympanonomy with graft 
of fistulas (30 times), Eye & Ear Hospital, Pittsburgh, PA 
(temporary resolution of symptoms (somewhat improved)) 

	Respondent
	Comments:	"When surgeries help vertigo, it takes between 
			3-4 days for me to start feeling better
			and often after one week I can forget I was ever 
			dizzy.  Then I forget that I used to be dizzy, 
			pick up something heavy or do something to cause
			increased intercranial pressure and my grafts are 
			blown and I'm back being dizzy again."

Respondent #3: Surgery 1: deveated septum, Oakland Navel 
Hospital, Oakland, CA (surgery did not help); Surgery 2: Perilymph 
Fistula Surgery, Rideout Hospital, Marysville, CA (eliminated 
the severe vertigo and vomiting...started feeling better very 
shortly after surgery)  Problems From 2nd surgery:  nerve damage 

Respondent #4:  3 surgeries, 1 ear, for Perilymph Fistulas, 
Florida Otolongology Group Surgical Center in Orlando, Florida.  
(no change in balance function after surgery #1) (worse, flat 
on back for 3 months after surgery #2) (3rd “surgery” was 
gentamicin treatments--Result--inability to
compensate for balance loss)  Other problems from surgery:  
Numbness of tongue
	
	Respondent 
	Comments:	“Now I feel off balance all of the time, have 		
			a numb tongue, and have come out worse 
			than when I started.”


Respondent #5:  Microvascular decompression of 8th cranial nerve, 
Presbyterian University Hospital, at University of Pittsburgh 
in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  (No change.  Possibly worse at first.)

	Respondent
	Comments:  	“Symptoms didn’t begin to improve until 
			over 2 years after the surgery...don’t know 
			if this is related or not”


Respondent #6:  6 surgeries, 1 ear, Tympanotomy (exploration of left ear), 
Forest Surgery Center, San Jose, California and Washoe Medical 
Center, Reno, Nevada (no benefit from surgery #1) (2nd surgery resulted 
in improvement after 4 mos.) (Worsened after 3rd surgery) 
(No benefit from 4th surgery) No benefit from additional 
surgeries.  Problems from surgery:  Perilymph Fistula

	
Respondent #7: Endolymphatic shunt and tympanatomy, 
Good Samaritan Hospital, Cincinnati, Ohio. (Good, 
somewhat improved, Meniere’s attacks less frequent 
after surgery.


Respondent #8: Perilymph Fistula Repair surgery, Mercy Hospital,
Iowa City, IA (Result--condition unchanged)


Respondent #9: Endolymphatic Shunt surgery, Methodist Hospital, San 
Antonio, Texas (Result--condition unchanged)  Problems from surgery: The
shunt has left constant tinnitus and pressure, top of ear and back of ear
are numb.

Respondent #10: Fistula Repair surgery, Christ Hospital, Cincinnati, Ohio
(Result:  Meniere's Disease and much worse off than prior to surgery).

Respondent #11: Tubes in Ears, Bloomington Hospital, Bloomington, Indiana
(Result:  Less ear infections, better hearing)

Respondent #12: Perilymph Fistula Repair, Good Samaritan Hospital, 
Portland, Oregon  (Result:  No improvement from surgery--still waiting to have
operation on other ear)

Respondent #13: Endolymphatic Shunt Surgery, Shea Clinic, Memphis, TN
(Result: Relief of most symptoms.  Still have tinnitus.  Much improved.)

Respondent #14: Typhannum(?) Patching, New York, NY
(Result: Gradual lessening of tinnitus, somewhat improved)

Respondent #15: Saccus Decompression, Lancaster Royal Infirmary, Lancaster, 
England. (Result: Slightly less dizziness, hearing damaged, lost speech discrimination
in affected ear.  Tinnitus became pulsatile.  Waves of sound now with body movements).

Respondent #16: Microvascular Decompression of 8th Cranial Nerve, Presbyterian
University Hospital, Pittsburgh, PA (Result: unchanged, doctors now want to do the
right ear)

Respondent #17: Endolymphatic Sac Decompression/Gentamicin Perfussion, Albany
Medical Center, Albany, N.Y. (Result: "Spinning vertigo and vomiting several times 
a day following surgery.  Difficulty walking, focusing, on meds for several months
following surgery with only minimal relief.  Started on Gentamicin injections to
inner-ear and after several months, and a great decrease in hearing of my right ear,
I began to improve.  Injections are now done several months apart and meds have been
regulated.  Only rarely experience spinning vertigo and vomiting.  Tinnitus has
greatly decreased and hearing loss has improved back to a low range of normal.  The main
symptoms I now experience are lightheadedness, ear fullness, very faint tinnitus,
and occasional nausea."

Respondent #18: Surgery #1: Shunt on right ear, Shea Clinic, Memphis, TN 
(Result: significant improvement)  Surgery #2: DMZ procedure, Shea Clinc, Memphis, TN
(Result: significant improvement)

	Respondent said: "After initial recovery of shunt surgery, significant 
			improvement. Haven't had any true vertigo since the procedure.  
			Fullness reduced, though not gone.  Very little tinnitus, 
			usually after cheating on the diet.  After DMZ, almost no
			fullness, no dizziness, no tinnitus, balance improved."

Respondent #19: Endolymphatic Sac surgery with Shunt, Western Medical Center, 
Santa Ana, CA  (and closure of fistulas in round and oval windows)
(Result: worse due to surgery--had no hearing loss or tinnitus before surgery,
now have both!  Less full-on spinning vertigo)

Respondent #20: Surgery #1: Typanography, Northern Colorado Medical Center,
Greeley, CO (Result: Patch slipped off 2 days later); Surgery #2: Typanography,
Northern Colorado Medical Center.  (Result: never completely sealed but was tolerable);
Surgery #3: Typanography, Northern Colorado Medical Center (Result: patch sealed,
doctor suctioned ear, patch came loose.)

Respondent #21: Surgery #1: Fistula Repair, Beth Israel, Boston, MA
(Result: Not much change); Surgery #2: Fistula Repair, Brigham and Women's, Boston, MA
(Result: Most symptoms continued, spinning returned later)

Respondent #22:Endolymphatic Shunt Surgery, Loma Linda University, Loma
Linda, CA  (Result:  no improvement)

Respondent #23:Surgery #1: Vestibular Nerve Section (left side), St. John's, 
St. Louis, MO, (Result: vertigo much relieved); Surgery #2: Sunt (rt. side), St. John's,
St. Louis, MO, (Result: somewhat relieved for a time.)

	Patient Comments:  "I consider myself very lucky to have found Dr.
			Peter Smith.  Without him, and the surgery he did,
			I don't think I would be here today."

Respondent #24:Surgery #1: Oval Window Graft, arnold nerve transection 
(rt. side), Providence Hospital, Portland, Oregon. (Result: less nausea, better balance);
Surgery #2: Oval Window Graft, arnold nerve transection (left side), Providence Hospital,
Portland, Oregon.  (Result: no more nausea, balance improved)

	Patient Comments:  "Surgery did not improve my sound sensitivity.
			It actually made it a little worse.  I had one 
			streptomycin treatment which helped the sound
			sensitivity a little."

Respondent #24: Surgery #1: Shunt, House Ear Clinic, Los Angeles, CA
(Result: "Total failure"); Surgery #2: Vestibular Nerve Section, 
House Ear Clinic, Los Angeles, CA (Result: "Slight improvement")

Respondent #25: Surgery #1: Mastoid Shunt, O'Connor Hospital, 
San Jose, CA (Result: No change); Surgery #2: Vestibular Nerve Section, 
O'Connor Hospital, San Jose, CA  (Result: Somewhat improved...from 
1990-1996, no attacks)

Respondent #26: Surgery #1: Perilymph Fistula with Shunt,
St. Joseph Hospital, Burbank, CA (Result: Somewhat better); Surgery #2:
Mid Fossa Nerve Section (Name of hospital withheld due to complications)
(Result: "Worst mistake I ever made!...Suffered spinal cord injury that is
not fixable.  Also partial facial paralysis.  Hearing has decreased to almost
nothing.  Can't walk well and am in chronic pain.  Balance is far worse
than it ever was.")