Tinnitus Onset After Sphenoidotomy Surgery

[klu1021]

It hasn't been long, but I had sphenoidotomy surgery on both of my sphenoid sinuses on October 28. Four days after the surgery, I developed a ringing and buzzing sound in my ears that has not gone away. It's constant, 24 hours a day, every day.

My question is: is this common because of inflammation? According to Google, it is. According to the surgeon's physician assistant, it is as well. However, my surgeon isn't sure, since the tinnitus didn't begin until four days after the procedure. He also mentioned that he has never had any previous patients report or complain of tinnitus following a similar surgery.

I really empathize with everyone who deals with this permanently. It has been giving me anxiety and panic attacks almost every night since it began. They performed a hearing test on me today, and my hearing is normal. I do not have any hearing loss, which gives me a little hope that maybe this tinnitus is only due to inflammation from the surgery.

 

[Jammer]

I imagine your tinnitus is due to the noise from powered instruments, such as drills and microdebriders, cutting through bone during your procedure. These noise levels can reach up to 95.5 dBA. The resulting sound pressure levels transmitted to surrounding structures, such as the inner ear, labyrinth, and cochlea, pose a risk of noise-induced hearing trauma, especially if the instruments are used for a longer duration near sensitive areas.

A standard hearing test is limited to 8 kHz and often shows no damage in many new sufferers. An extended hearing test, including frequencies above 8 kHz, may reveal hearing damage.

 

[klu1021]

Thanks for your response. The ENT surgeon put me on Prednisone to help with inflammation and to see if that might get rid of the tinnitus. I'm on day two of the medication and noticing slight improvement. I do not have any tinnitus when I wake up in the morning, but it starts shortly after. Today it didn't begin until midday, so I suppose that's a little progress. I'm trying not to get my hopes up, though, in case this turns out to be something more permanent.

When I go for my next follow-up in two weeks, should I ask for an extended hearing test? It seems strange that the tinnitus is completely absent when I wake up but appears as the day goes on.

Do you think it could have been the powered instruments that caused the damage, given that the tinnitus didn't start until five days after the surgery?

 

[Jammer]

An extended hearing test is your decision, especially since your tinnitus is improving.

Yes, I think the powered instruments caused the damage. Tinnitus onset can be delayed from the initiating event.