Inner Ear Tubes

[Jeffrey Sirianni]

In article <501051821995062801202168 at trader.com>, 5010.5182 at trader.com (SHAWN DEREK TOM) says:
>
>It has gotten a bit better but I still have about 5db less in my
>right ear.
> 
>Shawn Tom
> 

Shawn,

The decision concerning whether to opt for surgery is all in your hands.
I would really weigh the maximal benefit obtainable versus the risk of
permanent damage to your middle ear system.  If you have a complete audiogram
done (air and bone conduction thresholds), you can see what the maximum obtainable
benefit can be.  If we are talking about 5-10 dB, I don't know if I would opt
for surgery, especially if I had not tried other approaches first (ie. antihistamines).
I do not want to discount the benefits of the PE tube procedure, since it has done
wonders for children with chronic middle ear problems.  I guess my advice is to try
a pharmacological approach before opting for surgery.  At least you can say you've
tried a non-invasive appraoch first.

Jeff Sirianni     @(((<{
University of Texas at Austin
Communication Sciences and Disorders
CMA, 2nd Floor Clinic
Austin, TX  78712-1089
sirianni at uts.cc.utexas.edu
jgsaudio at aol.com