My ears have almost shut up shop: it's official.

[Randy Fandango]

OK -- perhaps I'm exagerating a little but (having originally been diagnosed ten years ago) apparently my ears are: 'Categorically the worst I've ever seen' -- according to my smiling ENT consultant this morning.
'The only realistic option is surgery'.
Of course I'm talking about diffuse exostoses, the dreaded surfers' ear.....
Or in my case ears.
So........
Who's actually had the op? How long did you really have to stay out of the water?
Obviously I'll follow my Dr's advice but I'm interested to hear from anyone with personal experience.
Giles

[Strad]

I'm interested to hear from anyone with personal experience.

If you could hear that is :).

Can't help on this one I have exostoses too but mine is mild, not that my doc would put in down on paper but he implied my hearing has been damaged by a job that required use of head phones for long periods of time.

[C.I.W.W]

Cardiff International White Water will be hosting SURFPLUGS in November, they will be doing a consultation for free then you can decide if you need plugs.

May be worth thinking about


Keep an eye on www.ciww.com and our Facebook page.

[Bod]

'The only realistic option is a Devalt and a 10mm HSS drill bit from a proper tool shop.

I have heard enough, I'm taking up seakayaking.

My Boss had a similar thing done on his nose. Rhinoplasty. Just making a drilling sound in the office was enough to make his eyes water.

You'll be fine Randy.

[Randy Fandango]

I have heard enough, I'm taking up seakayaking.

My Boss had a similar thing done on his nose. Rhinoplasty. Just making a drilling sound in the office was enough to make his eyes water.

You'll be fine Randy.

Very comforting I must say :-)
Actually I've already been there: when I was about 19 I had a septoplasty and I suspect its the memory of that that's made me put the inevitable off with my ears for so long.
I had a septoplasty because, er, sniff, erm, I had, sniff, erm, a deviated septum.
Actually, although I worked in the exciting world of advertising in London at the time (and it was the mid 80s) I genuinely had a deviated septum and not a coke problem!
Giles

[Jim]

Dig around the site, the photos from James F's ears before drilling are here some place, and I'm sure are linked to a lovely description of the actual Op.

[TerryH]

I had mine drilled out over ten years ago.
Off the water for a month. (well that's what they advised!)
My ear drum was damaged during the op, never quite got full hearing back in my left ear.
All the years later the growths have started to grow back, although much slower since I paddle with an ear wig these days.
Advice from Dr to avoid re growth was give up paddling!!!! I took up open boat and sea paddling and played in my kayak less but that could be due to being an old fart.
Was it worth doing? overall yes the pain in lugg hole after boating pre opp was horrible.
I also have the excuse now of "sorry love I didn't hear you that was my bad ear!"

[Adrian Cooper]

A friend of mine had it done after he moved to NZ. He seemed to think it was more common in Oz and NZ possibly because of the 'surf culture'. He had soem set ideas on the surgery since apparrently it can be approached in different ways.

I am not going to comment on the alternatives since I don't know enough about it but you might like to research the subject.................. Oh yes, that's what you are doing. :-)

[Strad]

'The only realistic option is a Devalt and a 10mm HSS drill bit from a proper tool shop.

I have heard enough, I'm taking up seakayaking.

My Boss had a similar thing done on his nose. Rhinoplasty. Just making a drilling sound in the office was enough to make his eyes water.

You'll be fine Randy.

I had a functional rhinoplasty performed after breaking my nose for the 4th time, the worst bit was having the packing taken out (it was a bit like a magician pulling ribbon out of his mouth except that it's bandages from the nose / sinus - you'll be amazed how much bandage can be fitted up there and just how sensitive your nose is at the point). Recovery was very quick and I could breath / smell properly again overall one of the better operations I've had.

[Simon]

So........
Who's actually had the op? How long did you really have to stay out of the water?
Obviously I'll follow my Dr's advice but I'm interested to hear from anyone with personal experience.
Giles

I have exostoses, and am booked in for the op on 4th November.

I have virtually stopped canoeing now, but the exostoses in the right ear cause wax build up which is causing a permanent problem, and I have decided that the op is the best way forward for a long term solution.

As an ENT nurse for my day job I have done a fair bit of research on this. There is some fairly recent stuff in the literature about how heat/noise/vibration from the diamond burr drill causes damage to hearing at about 4khz (which is speech frequency). Most candidates for ear surgery have damaged hearing anyway so most surgeons don't worry too much about this - the benefit from the op outweighs the additional hearing damage, but surfer's ear patients have good hearing, and so avoiding this hearing damage might be a good idea.

I have got myself a referral down to Truro, where with lots of surfers they see quite a lot of this and have done some good work, and the bony growths in my ears will be chiselled out, not drilled.

Ask your surgeon two questions.

1. how many times has he/she done this specific procedure (ie. removing exostoses from surfer's ear). It is quite a rare syndrome in many parts of the country, and many expert ear surgeons will have very little experience of this specific procedure. Do you go for your local surgeon, or get a referal to somebody in a different part of the country who has built up his/her skill levels. I worked at the Royal National Throat Nose and Ear Hospital in London, a big national centre of ENT excellence with many expert ear surgeons, and the surgeons there agreed that I would do better in Cornwall than London for this specific op.

2. Ask your surgeon how he/she will minimise the long term effect of the drill on your hearing, and if they are aware of this research.

Good luck

PS

I had a functional rhinoplasty performed after breaking my nose for the 4th time, the worst bit was having the packing taken out (it was a bit like a magician pulling ribbon out of his mouth except that it's bandages from the nose / sinus - you'll be amazed how much bandage can be fitted up there

One of the highlights of an ENT nurses job is pulling out nasal packs - and watching the patient's shock as this massive piece of wadding comes out of their tiny little nostril. Proof indeed that the skull is mostly hollow.

Simon

[Simon Westgarth]

I have had my left ear drilled, it's an easy experience. The approach to the drilling site was from in front of my ear, so I did not had the whole ear lobe flapped froward, which is a little old school in method I a lead to understand. Go somewhere, where this operation is common place, ie. the west country, St Michael's in Bristol is excellent.

And forget Pro plugs, they are a cheap and unideal solution to a real problem. Instead get custom made silicon plugs from either an ENT clinic or hearing aid store, they rarely fall out, and `I have not since had an ear infection in 8 years since using them.

[Alec Ferris]

Reading all this, I'm seriously glad I got those Doc Pros. Hope it goes well if you decide to have the op, Randy.

[Randy Fandango]

Cheers guys -- thanks for all the comments.
Mr Dawson -- that's great advice and I'll have a chat with the consultant about those things. Thanks very much for that.
Giles

[Kayacb]

OK -- perhaps I'm exagerating a little but (having originally been diagnosed ten years ago) apparently my ears are: 'Categorically the worst I've ever seen' -- according to my smiling ENT consultant this morning.
'The only realistic option is surgery'.
Of course I'm talking about diffuse exostoses, the dreaded surfers' ear.....
Or in my case ears.
So........
Who's actually had the op? How long did you really have to stay out of the water?
Obviously I'll follow my Dr's advice but I'm interested to hear from anyone with personal experience.
Giles

Pardon?


TAXI!

[Randy Fandango]

Pardon?


TAXI!

Ah yes -- the inevitable comedian.... :-)
Giles

[Kayacb]

Pardon?


TAXI!

Ah yes -- the inevitable comedian.... :-)
Giles

I assure you Giles, resistance was attempted!

[pob 67]

Rough news mate - hope you can sorted

[eeonz]

And forget Pro plugs, they are a cheap and unideal solution to a real problem. Instead get custom made silicon plugs from either an ENT clinic or hearing aid store, they rarely fall out, and `I have not since had an ear infection in 8 years since using them.

What did you find wrong with the pro plugs please?

[Randy Fandango]

And so.....
I have a date for the first ear (I think June 14th but I've had several contradictory and confusing letters from the hospital that all arrived on the same day -- bodes well....)
Thanks very much Mr Dawson -- you're info was very helpful but unfortunately the arrival of my second-born a mere eight weeks ago pretty well decided for me that staying local was the way to go. I've done some research and it appears they vaguely know what they're doing -- apart from when it comes to actually telling me when my op is :-/
I have a family holiday booked for end of August / beginning of September during which I would usually spend a fair bit of time swimming in the Med, snorkelling and maybe doing a couple of dives. Is this realistic with my op date or would I be better off asking them to put it back until after my holiday?
Anyone with prior experience have an opinion?
Cheers once again guys,
Giles

[waterbourne]

how do I get ear plugs and whats best to get?... and how much are they?

[waterbourne]

What about using those ear drops that divers use?.... that sterilize the ear canal? is that an option to avoid this?

[Randy Fandango]

What about using those ear drops that divers use?.... that sterilize the ear canal? is that an option to avoid this?

Do you mean "swim ear"? If so then I'm pretty sure its actually just really surgical alcohol and the idea is that it mixes with the water trapped in your ear and then presumably evaporates off, taking the water with it.
At least I think that's what happens :-)
Giles

[TheKrikkitWars]

@Giles - The idea is that the alcohol modifies the the surface tension of water droplets stuck in the ear, allowing them to flow out...

What about using those ear drops that divers use?.... that sterilize the ear canal? is that an option to avoid this?

Firstly; following watching a friend with an ear infection decide to use them to clear his ears out, I'd warn people that using those as a sterilising agent is excruciatingly painful!

Secondly; No, exostoses form in the ear canal as a result of the body responding to regular cold water ingress into the ear canal by forming bony growths... The only way of preventing this is preventing exposure of the ear canal to cold water.

[Randy Fandango]

@Giles - The idea is that the alcohol modifies the the surface tension of water droplets stuck in the ear, allowing them to flow out...

Now that's clever. You scientists...... :-)
Giles

[Jim]

@Giles - The idea is that the alcohol modifies the the surface tension of water droplets stuck in the ear, allowing them to flow out...

Now that's clever. You scientists...... :-)
Giles

Maybe something like Rainx wold be less painful?

:-D
ROTFL

If it's at all raw just think what salt water is going to feel like in there....

[Simon]

I have a family holiday booked for end of August / beginning of September during which I would usually spend a fair bit of time swimming in the Med, snorkelling and maybe doing a couple of dives. Is this realistic with my op date or would I be better off asking them to put it back until after my holiday?
Anyone with prior experience have an opinion?
Giles

Hi Giles,

I suspect that the experience of healing is very very variable, depending on the amount of skin repositioning and the rate of healing, so there is no fixed answer. The problem is that you won't know your own personal healing rate until after the surgery.

For me - I had surgery on 4th Nov and clearance to swim on 11th Jan, but I know that others had quicker healing than me. So your dates would seem to be in the "might be OK to go swimming, but not certain" category.

Good luck

Simon

[Lowri Davies]

how do I get ear plugs and whats best to get?... and how much are they?

http://www.flowfree.co.uk/2010/11/5-rea ... -earplugs/

You can get them through the NHS - go to your doctor and explain what you do and why you need them. Otherwise, you can get the same thing privately through Surf Plugs. See the above link for more info...

[Simon]

how do I get ear plugs and whats best to get?... and how much are they?

And if you have a lot of patience read through this thread as well for some good background information.

http://www.ukriversguidebook.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=70307&hilit=ear+plugs.

Simon

[Alec Ferris]

That's an excellent thread. Well worth checking out.

[Tom_Laws]

Giles, just pop up this way, I'll sort them out. Just put a magnetic knife thing on the wall and missed the electrics. I assume it's similar.