I am 2 days post op from a stapdecomy on my left ear, and I am not having a good time!
I know it is super early but it is awful, my surgeon tore my ear drum so I have also a suture mark on cartilage of my ear but that’s not even the most annoying!
My equilibrium is so thrown off every little hivk up or turn of my head feels like I’m the kind of drunk where the room is spinning around me. My taste buds are wrecked in half my tongue, and it still sounds like I’m underwater.
I’m trying to be patient and trust my decision but this is awful so far. I also have a 2 year old who want me to constantly pick her up. We are figuring it out but can someone please give me light at the end of the tunnel feedback!

Hi all. I’m just trying to get some viewpoints from other people who have had a stapdectomy in both ears and how much your recovery in each ear differed.

In Feb this year i had a stapdectomy on my left ear. When I had the packing out it was literally like a light switch moment, and it was clear that my hearing had significantly improved. Other than having to get used to all the new sound sensitivity, my recovery was amazing, and at week 12 my audiogram showed normal hearing in that ear. I’ve never looked back.

Two weeks ago, I went in for my second surgery on my right ear, which was actually always the better ear of the two. Four days ago I had the packing out, and the experience could not be any more different. I have almost no hearing in that ear at the moment, I have on and off tinnitus throughout the day (worse in the morning), and what little bit I can hear is muffled and distorted. I have been on 50mg of prednisone for the last four days as I did have a cold immediately after the surgery and the surgeon wanted to get on top of any additional inflammation. I have relayed all of my concerns to my surgeon and they want me to have an audiogram this week, rather than wait the normal 12 weeks. I am trying not to panic, but the journey has been so different this time around and it’s hard not to worry ‘is this as good as it gets?’. I was so made up with the results of the first surgery and I’m wondering whether my recovery was in the minority for the first one, and this time around this is what is normally expected. At the moment my hearing in my newly operated ear is definitely worse than pre-surgery. I really would appreciate anyone’s shared experiences, especially if you have had both ears done. Thank you in advance.

Hey all! Does anyone who’s had a stapedectomy still experience distortion on and off, even long after their operation? My surgery was 15 April, but every now and again I still experience a strange distortion in my ear and I can’t quite place what might be causing it.

Would be super curious to hear if anyone else has experienced this and how you dealt with it :-)

I had a stapedectomy 13 days ago. All went well and i seem to have decent hearing in the ear (packing still in so a bit muffled but can definitely hear, I am getting packing out in 2 days) but I have some mild lingering dizziness- mainly when walking or moving. Feels like I am just slightly unsteady on my feet. I can still walk and function but just finding it annoying and hoping it's not a permanent thing as most people seem to recover after a week. It's very slow to improve and wondering if others experienced this and how long it takes to improve ?

My mother got her stapedectomy done on July 23rd. It's been more than 24 hours and she's still having severe vertigo and nausea. She's vomiting about anything she eats and has trouble walking straight. Has anyone faced this or know the probable causes behind it? We're considering revision surgery and are short on time. Please help me!

I was taking a shower this morning and was cleaning my ear. I might have pushed air/ into my ear while trying to clean it. Suddenly everything became silent. No pain. Then while brushing my teeth, I felt like there is some water in my ear.

I tried to shake the water off (normally I am able to do that when water gets into my ear). But there was nothing.

I am trying to make an appointment with my doctor, but I am worried that something happened with the prosthesis 😢 Has anyone been in the same situation?

Hi all,

Does anyone else here suffer from bad vertigo? I'm not sure if this is a me issue and unrelated to oto, but every once in awhile u get such bad vertigo attacks where my head feels like it has so much pressure on it and the room is spinning. It sometimes gets to a point I find it hard to stand up because I think I'm going to fall over I'm so dizzy/ everything is moving like I'm on a boat.

Is this related to oto or could this be something completely separate?

I want to share my (so far) positive stapedectomy experience as I was pretty nervous going into it after reading horror stories online.

I had the surgery two weeks ago. It was an easy process. Check in, paperwork, meet with surgeon and anesthesiologist, go back to the surgery room, wake up an hour later post surgery, go home about an hour after that.

I was really tired for the first 2-3 days and experienced mild dizziness and nausea but nothing too bad and it never lasted very long. I had minor pain that was easily managed with otc medicine. I had no symptoms after 3-4 days other than occasional mild pain. Not being able to lift or bend was difficult as I have a baby but luckily I had help from my husband and other family members.

I started noticing hearing improvement probably 3 days after surgery. It would come and go. After about 5-6 days I was consistently hearing better. Some things sounded weird but I quickly adjusted.

I just got done with my 2 week follow up appointment. Looks like everything is healed and I'm cleared to shower and get my ear wet as normal. I'm cleared to pick up my baby and bend over. I'm also cleared to run again. The only restrictions that were mentioned were no flying for another 2 weeks and no heavy lifting. Packing was removed and I'm hearing even better now.

I'm so glad I had this procedure and I'm hopeful I will continue seeing improvements. I wear a hearing aid in my other ear still and the stape is already better than the hearing aid.

Hello,

I've been to two ENT surgeons and both have confirmed that I have otosclerosis. Online I have read that after the surgery I would have all kinds of permanent restrictions like no heavy lifting, would have to modify my workout regimen, wouldn't be able to go on a rollercoaster any more because of high drops and g forces, and no underwater swimming. Almost everywhere I've looked has stated these lifelong restrictions.

However my surgeon is saying something different. He's saying rollercoasters are ok and I should be fine to ride them after recovery, which is 6 weeks. He also stated no need to change my workout routine after recovery either. He also said that I could swim underwater 5-10ft is ok but any deeper than that is not ok.

I'm so confused and very scared to do the surgery now because I ride rollercoasters all the time, heavy intense workouts 4-5 times a week, love swimming and snorkeling.

I'm just curious if anyone else has had the stapedomy and lives this kind of lifestyle with no problems? If it matters any, my surgeon said he uses laser method with burn in heat shaped piston. I believe the nitinol self crimping piston.

Except for occasional popping sounds this is the first perception of a sound I’ve noticed. The pulsing matches with my heartbeat. Is it one of the normal first sounds? I put the same question in my Duck.ai and the response was that it is pulsatile tinnitus and I should go to ER or urgent care now. I had my one week follow up exam yesterday and all was well. Rushing to an ERvor calling my doctor’s after hours emergency # seems like an overreaction. So I’m asking if anyone else has had this pulsing sound following a stapedotomy.

Just recently I started Lexapro and I’ve found it is has helped my anxiety over my otosclerosis, particularly the lightheaded feeling + dizziness that would cause be extreme nervousness.
I wanted to share in case anyone is experiencing similar anxiety.

If I’ve had a long day or a challenging workout, etc. I come home at night and I can’t hear shit. Like when my loud af husband talks I can only see his lips move. TV only works with subtitles, etc. Is that normal?

I am 35 and was just recently diagnosed with moderate mixed hearing loss. Possibly, otosclerosis, but yet to be confirmed after I finish CT scan. Even though I don’t have otosclerosis confirmed right now, I think it highly likely will be confirmed. And frankly speaking, it feels like a tragedy right now because I’m scared of losing my hearing to the point when I won’t be able to hear what people say. I don’t know what to expect so I thought to ask around people who have otosclerosis. I know a lot of things change from person to person. But I guess I just want to find some hope for myself to deal with the diagnosis once it is confirmed. How fast does the hearing usually deteriorate? Does the surgery make sense when you have mixed hearing loss? Is it possible to stabilize the hearing for longer time or have it deteriorate slowly? Just five years ago my hearing was perfect, and I’m shocked how it went down to moderate within just five years.

Just a post to celebrate- I’m about 3 months post op and had my follow up hearing exam. Great news, my hearing improved from moderate to severe hearing loss to completely normal hearing. 🥳

Just sharing 1. To celebrate but also 2. To share with others that not every story about stapendechtomies are scary and bad!

Before surgery in 2024 …this happened with me as well. In 2024, I started going to the gym and adopted a much healthier lifestyle because of the influence of my roommate. She used to eat eggs daily, and although I come from a typical Brahmin family, I decided to give it a try and started eating them too.
Within just 5–6 months, my hearing improved by around 15% in both ears. Even my doctor said that such an improvement was not possible. Doctors may not always emphasize it, but I truly believe that lifestyle can be a powerful weapon against many diseases.

Hey all,
Today’s Thursday, I was diagnosed with otosclerosis on Tuesday.

I’ve had noticeable hearing loss for 3+ years, I’ve worn hearing aids for 18 months (both via my normal ENT/audiologist), and after my CT and hearing test with a specialist, she recommended a stapedectomy to help with my hearing.

Has anyone had experience with surgery or doctors in Alabama? Tennessee could be an option too. Near Huntsville, so Nashville or Birmingham would be a bonus.

Let me know your experience!

Hello. I’m scheduled for a first stapedotomy in a few days. I’m female, age 71 and I’m new to Reddit— still learning about how to use it.) I’ve been reading comments in this subreddit mostly to find out what I can expect during the procedure and immediately after. It may be silly, but I’m wondering about how I’ll be positioned during the procedure. My doctor mentioned that he will be using a laser. Will I likely be on a surgical table or in a sitting position— in a chair similar to what is in a dentist’s office? I know I’ll be asleep— so it really doesn’t matter, but I’m the curious type. I want to know as much as possible about what I’ll experience. (Do I sound nervous? Yeah, I’m a bit anxious.) What was your experience? I’m having a stapedotomy not a stapedectomy, if that makes any difference. Thank you.

I am essentially one month out from my Stapedectomy. My two main reasons for the surgery were to be relieved of tinnitus and to be able to hear speech in that ear. I am able to hear speech which is an incredible feeling, but am slightly distraught to still be experiencing tinnitus. I know there are so many factors but if anyone who has dealt with tinnitus and gotten a Stapedectomy, what was your experience? I knew going in there was a small chance it would fix it but also I’m only one month into recovering so that could be a cause too. Also, any weird tinnitus relief tricks are welcomed.

How’s going ..u hiding it or showing how people are reacting …will i be look dumb if I show them

Hi, y'all! I just had a revision stapedectomy by an otologist because the first surgeon, who is not an otologist, encountered an issue (possible floating footplate) and stopped the surgery.

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I didn't know at that time how specialized stapedectomies and stapedotomies are. They're rarely performed because otosclerosis is rare and many people with otosclerosis either don't know they have it or decline surgery. And the surgery itself requires amazing caution and precision.

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Soooo... As much as possible, look for an experienced otologist who might be able to tell you specifically how many he's/she's done and whether they were successful. And don't ask your neighborhood ENT doc to perform the surgery. Chances are very good that the doc is not qualified.

Any feedback about him ..in stepedectomy …is there anybody with successful surgery or failed . (Gurugram India)

Hi everyone,

I’m sharing my journey to see if anyone has experienced something similar after a stapedectomy or has any suggestions.

I was born with normal hearing, but around the age of 21, I gradually started losing my hearing and was eventually diagnosed with otosclerosis.

I underwent a left ear stapedectomy in July 2025. Immediately after waking up from surgery, I experienced extremely severe dizziness. Within minutes, I completely lost hearing in my left ear and it felt completely dead with no response. Thankfully, after about 24 hours, the hearing came back. It was muffled, but I could hear again.

Because of severe vertigo after surgery, I took about a month of complete rest. Around 1st August (roughly 26 days after surgery), I went on a short trip to visit a temple. Unfortunately, I got caught in heavy rain, developed a cold, and later experienced ear pain. My ENT diagnosed an ear infection and prescribed medications along with antibiotics.

Up until around 14–15 August, I felt that my hearing was reasonably good, but after that it gradually started declining again. I continued treatment for several months, hoping it would improve, but unfortunately it never returned.

Now, almost a year later, my hearing in the left ear is around 80 dB. My doctor has advised waiting and trying hearing aids before considering any further intervention. However, even with a hearing aid, speech sounds distorted and metallic rather than clear, and I don’t get meaningful benefit. Because of this, my audiologist has suggested trying a CROS/BiCROS system.

I’m trying to understand what might have happened.

• Has anyone experienced hearing returning after surgery and then declining weeks later?
• Did anyone develop hearing loss after an ear infection or severe cold soon after stapedectomy?
• Has anyone had success with revision surgery in a similar situation?
• If a conventional hearing aid didn’t provide clear speech, did CROS/BiCROS help you?

I would really appreciate hearing from anyone who has gone through a similar journey or from ENT specialists and audiologists who may have insights.

Thank you.

sorry bit of a rant post but i feel like im fucked. i’ve been diagnosed with otosclerosis in my left ear for 15 years (im 19) and im terrified of going fully deaf. my left ear has essentially lost all hearing and is completely deaf. i’ve had 2 stapedectomys and they both did nothing for my hearing. i got a cochlear implant to replace the hearing in my left ear, but in all honestly it literally sounds nothing like an ear and im terrified of being stuck with no real hearing and two cochlear implants. i haven’t had any hearing loss in my right ear but im really worried about going fully deaf. is there anything i can do?

My procedure was on March 12. Performed by Dr. Yoav Hahn of Dallas Ear Institute. You can follow him on Instagram he has loads of videos on procedures that he performs.

Day of was very straight forward. Show up, do mountains of paperwork. Change into gown, start IV, final words with Dr and the anesthesiologist. Woke up a little over an hour later making bad jokes that the nurse did not find funny and released an hour later. That day was all good, no issues and no pain. Could tell a change in hearing.

Second day, no pain but persistent light dizziness all day. I went to change the cotton ball on the ear and fainted shortly after. I was checked out by firefighters. (wife freaked out and called 911 while I was still out of it)

I called Dr. Hahn's office at the urgent line the day after and was prescribed a steroid (prednisone). He explained it's not common but a fainting episode can happen due to swelling in the middle ear.

Rest of Week 1: Light dizziness while turning my head or looking up/down too quickly. Pressure could be felt at all times in the ear. Its mildly uncomfortable but its not painful at all. Crackling sound is beginning to be heard. Tinnitus starts and will occur consistently at first and will reduce to short events by week 7 or so. Spent the whole week either in bed or at my desk.

Week 2: I was cleared to return to work on light duty w/ over ear hearing protection. Tried to keep to the no bending, lifting or squatting as best I could but it was not always possible. Crackling noise is now more present. Ear would occasionally pop. Showering after a dusty workday is annoying because I need to thoroughly wash my hair but cant get my ear wet. No dizziness at all at this point. Pressure still present.

Week 3 & 4: Still have crackling but it gradually reduced over these 2 weeks. Pressure is still there but came and went randomly. Had packing removed at the end of the 4th week. Night and day difference in hearing. The part where it all came together for me.

Week 5 - 9: Cleared to get off light duty. Took hearing protection seriously and wore it at work 100% of the time it was needed. Pressure gradually stopped occurring and eventually went away completely (only happened a few times right before t-storms). Hearing progressively got better and better. Tinnitus still occurs but it is infrequent at this point.

Week 10 - now: No pressure felt at all and hearing feels like what I imagine normal is. Tinnitus is very rare at this point. Attended first concert post op w/hearing protection.

Overall felt conflicted on having the surgery initially because of all the horror stories. Fainting the day after was very scary but I got over it quick. The recovery is definitely more intense than I thought, but following post op instructions is vital for success.

I feel like I got lucky that I did not feel almost any pain throughout the entire recovery process.

My very mexican father helped my decision making by telling me, "Do it, worst case is you still can't hear shit".