The Dangers of Microsuction

Yes it was the wrong thing to do. Eardrops should be used as I've written above. Some clinics that practice microsuction advertise, softening the wax before the procedure isn't necessary which is incorrect. Trying to prove malpractice against the medical profession isn't an easy thing to do, if you are thinking about making a complaint. Some people have microsuction without using eardrops to soften the wax and have no problems.

Michael

 

This is what caused my original T, seven years ago. The procedure was very loud.

 

It was the best they had at the time. There is an element of risk in every medical procedure even one that's considered to be minor as wax removal. I also had ear syringing using the metal canister filled with water, and fortunately I had no problems.
Michael

 

@Michael Leigh so if the 'Audiologist' in question didn't use drops to soften the wax

Thanks for your reply @Michael Leigh. It infuriates me how these idiots are permitted to practice unaware of the potential suffering of their clients. I don't reckon I have a case, his word against mine plus I signed a disclaimer so I'm stuffed. I'm going to email (1 year later) and tell him exactly what I think!

 

Hi @Alibongo

I'm so sorry to hear that your daughter is suffering following a microsuction procedure. In my opinion I believe that her hearing problems are definitely attributable to the microsuction. I have never suffered from hearing problems until I had the procedure done by an ENT, and since then I have extreme ear pressure, pain, tinnitus and hyperacusis. I have also had nausea and dizziness. It's absolutely criminal that this is happening to people and doctors are trivializing this, or denying any link to the microsuction. In my case it is definitely a hearing problem.

Get your daughter to protect her ears, absolutely no loud noises. Drink lots of water and hopefully in time things may settle a little. I take magnesium and NAC also as a precaution.

 

I would never use any method to remove ear wax I have read many many post here on this board where they got T after ear wax removal. Why take the chance?

Ear wax provides good ear protection against infection and also sound. I have heard it reduces sound by 7 dB (read it here while back)

Unless there is absolute medical need to remove ear wax...why would you remove it? specially when we have T and we know it causes T.

 

@Sean I totally agree with you but in my case my ear had become totally blocked by wax (after a swimming session) and drops just wouldn't shift it. I went to an ENT thinking this was the safest way to have the blocked wax removed, rather than trying to remove it myself. BIG MISTAKE...in hindsight I would NEVER have had the wax removed had I known the concequences. If only I could turn back the clock

Others who have had wax removal and not had problems afterwards should consider themselves lucky. I will NEVER EVER let an ENT remove wax again! Too late though, the damage has been done.

 

Hi blue 28 thank you for your post. I have been trying to find some 'proof' that microsuction can cause the awful symptoms yourself and my daughter are experiencing since it has ruined her quality of life ( her words) but I'm struggling to find anything if you find anything please share it with me? And if you have any thoughts about who else I could contact who might support our experience please share. I am so sorry you are having such a tough time and I am desperately trying to get a case together to fight this because I'm furious my child has been harmed in this way yet we are told she doesn't have an ear problem!!

 

Hi @Alibongo, thank you for your reply to my post. I am really sorry your daughter is suffering too, it's absolutely criminal that this procedure is carried out with the minimum of care and (in my case) no warnings about the dangers and damage it can cause the the auditory system. Like you I am trying to find others who have had hearing damage caused by microsuction, I know of a few people who have had problems following a microsuction procedure to remove wax (@Vicki14)... I'll try to compile a list of the people who have contacted me to share their negative experience.

Has your daughter had a hearing test? I would advise you to have her do hearing test, including the ultra high frequencies if possible. When I did my first hearing test there was only small dips (20db or less) on my audiogramme (although I knew within days of the microsuction that my hearing has drastically declined). However, when I did an ultra high frequency hearing test my audiogramme showed a VERY steep drop after 10khz (I have a 65db loss at 12khz), which recovers slightly after 14khz. I know this damage was caused by the microsuction, but how can I prove it? Having never had hearing issues before, I have no previous audiogramme to compare to...but I know how I hear now and how I heard before this horrid procedure! Keep in touch.

 

HI @Alibongo

I am sorry to hear about the situation with your daughter it must be very difficult for you both. Unfortunately, going up against the medical professional and to win a case, such as this I don't think will be an easy thing to do, and may create a lot of stress for you both and financial outlay. Please be careful.

I wish you well.
Michael

 

I agree with you @Michael Leigh, as I am in the same predicament as @Alibongo. However, I think it is absolutely DISGRACEFUL that these 'so called' medical professionals can carry out procedures where they are less than careful, and don't inform patients of side effects of treatments. Not only this but when things go wrong it's as though they are UNTOUCHABLE, it boils my blood! REAL PEOPLE are getting hurt, and there is nothing we can do about it?! My quality of life is non existant now, I can't even play with my 3 year old daughter without being in pain (noise), and my life is a constant battle with severe tinnitus and ear pain. To top it off, medical professionals don't seem to have a clue how to deal with any of this so we are left to suffer. I am not just talking about the tinnitus, but the constant earache, and burning, as well as the lack of sleep etc. My life is not worth living anymore...just because I chose the wrong person to remove some ear wax? So now I have to suffer and live with this, it's destroyed my life not to mention the effect it has had on my family...and I just have to 'GET OVER IT'?

It infruriates me that the medical professionals that do this are at liberty to carry on without any kind of disciplinary action! Oh, and we are made out to be the ones who have the problem... "it's in your head"... I am OUTRAGED that there is not more reglementation relating to microsuction!!!

 

As usual @Blue28, you put your point across very eloquently and passionately. I hope that you don't mind me saying that you have my sympathy as someone that has endured severe hyperacusis, so know what ear pain feels like. I fully understand what you're going through has affected your life considerably. As I've mentioned to you before, getting upset like this isn't going to achieve anything apart from giving you the opportunity to vent your anger and frustrations but at what cost? After you've said your piece this anger and frustrations are still within you and causes more stress on top of what you already have.

I used to counsel someone who was adamant that a dentist caused his tinnitus to increase quite severely after doing "root canal treatment" . This person spent £10,000 in legal fees and it got him absolutely nowhere as he couldn't prove the dental work caused his tinnitus to increase. The Lawyers that took on his case were just in it for the money. I am sorry to say, this person tried on more than one occasion to commit suicide because of the financial outlay and stress it caused him.

Fortunately, I eventually got through to him that taking his life wasn't a such a good idea as his wife and two young children would miss him terribly. This was one of the most difficult cases of tinnitus that I have ever had to deal with. There is a lot more I could say but it would be very distressing to read.

Michael

 

Thank you for your reply @Michael Leigh. I understand what you are saying. This is why I myself have not gone down the legal route...yet.

I know of a couple who's daughter was severly disabled due to lack of oxygen during the birthing process, when clearly the lady should have undergone a C-section. They tried to take the hospital to court, ended up spending a fortune and had to abandon as they ran out of funds. They still have a severly disable daughter.

My point is that medical professionals get away with murder, literally. It's an outrage that they see fit to practice less than careful care, and then there's no questions asked when things go wrong.

Personally if I could have a reasonable quality of life I'd just move on, but not only do I have awful tinnitus, hyperacusis and hearing loss, but I also have constant pain and pressure in my ears which affects every part of my life.

How do I deal with this? I am trying my best and thought in time I'd see an improvement, but it's a long and lonely road so far...

 

As I have said @Blue28 I fully understand what you are going through and empathise with your situation. You have asked how to deal with this? Disappointment such as this isn't going to be easy to deal with but one has to start somewhere. I would try to turn this awful situation around by seeking "counselling" with a Hearing Therapist if possible. If I couldn't find a Hearing Therapist that I would try to find a counsellor or psychiatrist to help me to look at life differently and more positively.

Michael

 

I am trying to move on, but my hearing health is vital for this. I know I'm stuck with the T and HL but the ear pain etc? My H has improved although there is still improvement to be had, I'm sure. If I could feel like I'm more in control of the pain etc it'd be easier, but the uncertainty of all this is difficult.

 

The hearing loss that you have perhaps ENT/Audiology might be able to help you with that. A Hearing aid for instance? Regarding your hyperacusis, it might improve quite a lot once you start counselling. By taking away your focus from the hyperacusis will automatically reduce stress. Going out with friends, family. Spending time with a partner if you have one. All these things help to redirect and change the negative energy that's within you in to positivity. It won't happen over night. One thing I think everyone agrees on, is that stress makes tinnitus and hyperacusis worse.

Michael

 

Just to add my two cents, it is possible (though not certain) that microsuction is responsible for the moderate hearing loss and consequent tinnitus in my left ear. My story is this: in 2013, at the age 43, I had been afflicted with successive episodes of muffled hearing in my left ear due to wax build up. I went to a walk-in clinic and the doctor did a simple irrigation procedure that removed the wax. She recommended that in future I pour a small quantity of mineral oil into the affected ear and to let it settle a while and then to gently rinse it with lukewarm water using a plastic syringe. A few months after this visit I once again was troubled with muffled hearing in the same ear. Following her instructions, I purchased the items she recommended and applied them as instructed. Unfortunately, and very stupidly on my part, instead of gently irrigating the ear once with the warm water, I did it several times, thereby pushing wax far back inside the canal. The result was a maddening and constant series of loud and atonal noises, evidently caused by the wax pressing up against the ear drum. After unsuccessful attempts by myself and family doctor to remove the wax with further irrigation, I was recommended to a local ENT. After a wait of several weeks (during which I thought I would go mad) the day of the appointment arrived. The ENT examined the affected ear and explained, as I mentioned above, that fragments of the wax had been pushed far up into the canal and was brushing against the drum, hence the atonal noises. After some ineffectual attempts to remove the wax with an instrument, he insisted that the only means he could do so was with microsuction, a procedure I had never heard of before. He did not caution before hand that there were any risks involved, of that I am certain. I gave myself entirely into his hands. The procedure was extremely uncomfortable and rather painful; indeed, I felt as if he were sucking my brains out through my ear! It was discomfort that I recollect as most distressing, not the noise involved in the procedure. After some minutes, I noticed a cessation in the atonal noises, for which I was extremely grateful. He shook my hand and announced the procedure a success. On leaving the office, however, I now noticed a new sensation, quite different and less obtrusive than the atonal sounds mentioned above. It was a contant high-pitch whstle accompanied by a dull roar. Thinking it might go away in an hour or two, I went home. Well, here I am four years later and it has never stopped! Some days, it is quite debilitating, others it is simply tolerable. I subsequently became the patient of another ENT and discovered that I have moderate hearing loss in the left ear, which accounts for the tinnitus. But I can never be certain whether or not the hearing loss (and consequent tinnitus) was due to my own clumsy attempts at irrigation, or was caused by the microsuction. I strongly suspect it was the latter, due to the extreme discomfort involved. Curiously, my present ENT prefers to remove ear wax entirely by hand and performs neither irrigation nor microsuction (though he is rather vague when asked the reason why).

 

I had microsuction ear wax removal five or six years ago, and the ENT just did it, no wax softening was recommended or done. I don't think I was harmed by it, but I would not have it done now, or ever, since I recently come down with T and H, and ear pain, possibly due to my over-cleaning with irrigation at home.

 

Hi @Nervous_Gent

Thank you for adding your story to my thread.

I would be inclined to agree with you, that the microsuction procedure damaged your hearing in some way and has caused your tinnitus/hearing loss. I know that for me, this was definitely the case, although the ENT dismisses this completely!

Interesting that your new ENT choses to practice manual extraction. I suspect because of the (unspoken) risks of microsuction.

 

Hello all,

How long did your microsuction treatment take? Mine took about 15-20 seconds per ear. After the procedure I had a hearing test and my hearing was normal. I’m scared that my hearing is gonna get worse.
Thoughts?

Thanks,
Ryan B

 

@Ryan B

Please read the post below.
Michael

Microsuction and Irrigation.

A few people have contacted me and raised concerns about irrigation and microsuction and asked whether they are safe for use on people that have tinnitus? I also had a lengthy discussion with someone in this forum last week, who’s adamant the tinnitus was made worse after having microsuction. This person had done all the right things. Applying olive oil eardrops to each ear for two weeks prior to the procedure and still ended up with problems. I therefore believe, the health professional doing the microsuction, wasn’t as skilled and adept as he or she should have been. This is unfortunate, as the person in question had no way of knowing this and is now enduring more discomfort.

The old fashioned method of ear syringing, using a metal canister filled with water and squirted into the ear under pressure, to remove earwax is no longer used. This method was rather crude and abrasive and could cause problems to the ear. Modern ear irrigation is considered gentler and a safer method. I have had this done three times at my GP surgery without problems. Prior to it being carried out I used eardrops 3 times a day for 10 days to soften the wax.

When the earwax is impacted irrigation might be unsuccessful even after using eardrops. The next step is microsuction. As the name suggests, the wax is literally sucked out using a small handheld wand with a suction tip and is considered to be the safest method of wax removal. I have also had this done three times at my hospital ENT department, which was carried out my consultant who I had every confidence in and had no problems. She is a firm believer in the use of microsuction especially for someone with tinnitus. Again, eardrops should be used for 7 to 10 days before having it done.

A word of caution. Type into any search engine and you’ll probably find a mirosuction clinic in your area, advising how safe and quick it is and that there’s no need to use eardrops to soften the wax. Others might say just use it for a couple of days or the night before coming into clinic. I strongly advise you not follow this advice. People have contacted me after having microsuction and didn’t use eardrops for 7 to 10 days and ended up with tinnitus that they didn’t have before. When they returned to the clinic to complain they were quickly shown the door.

Every medical procedure carries a risk. It is just not ideal to go around with blocked up ears, hearing loss or experiencing increased tinnitus as a result of impacted wax. If one is paying privately, try to find a reputable clinic and use olive oil eardrops in the manner I’ve stated before having microsuction or irrigation. I also advise to use eardrops two or three times a week to keep the earwax soft so it can pass out through the ears naturally and help prevent build up.

Michael

 

So does this mean mine should go away?
Or is it gonna stay?

 

Cause i’m having some pain right now.

 

If you had microsuction to remove the earwax. Did you use eardrops 3x a day for 7 to 10 days before having the wax removed?

 

no because my ears weren’t blocked or anything. I went to the doctor for symptoms of pain sensitivity to noise and fullness and he just went away and did the microsuction! Didn’t even tell me he was going to do it and he did it even after i told him i was currently sensitive to noise! I kept telling him during the procedure to stop but he just kept going!

 

Sorry to hear that and hope that the pain you're feeling calms down soon. In future, don't let any doctor do microscution or irrigation on your ears, unless you have used eardrops 3x a day for 7 to 10 days.

Best of luck
Michael

 

ENTs, in my experience, are either incompetent or ignorant. Plus impatient and arrogant.
Glorified ear wax removers who can’t even do that right.

In fact, in my experience, most (not all) Drs are the same. They’re generally clueless, even if some are well intentioned. Many I feel just want to make money, or are pressured to make money with unnecessary procedures and are in the profession because they did well at school. This is my opinion based on experience, particularly in the past 2 years.

 

Unfortunately a lot what you say is true about some ENT doctors. In all honestly though, over the last 21 years that I been treated I've found the majority of them good but a few as you have rightly described. My present Audiovestibular consultant, is nothing short of excellent and I have a very good rapport with her. She helped me immensely back in 2011 when I was going through a particularly difficult time with my tinnitus. She reassured me that she would never give up on treating me and I'll never forget that. There are some very good physicians out there that are dedicated and care about their patients but there are some arrogant ones too that have a very poor bedside manner and shouldn't be practicing medicine in my opinion.

Michael

 

I completely agree with you. I also feel that some doctors (not all) use their "status" to get away with things others would be hung, drawn and quartered for. If they commit an error instead of holding their hands up and admitting fault they try to blame the patient (to save their reputation)... Sadly some people are in the wrong profession and are causing harm and suffering to innocent patients. I am outraged by these people.

 

My Gp uses warm water irrigation and wont do this until you have used Olive Oil or similar softening drops for at least a month...