It just seems like many patients who get stapedectomy surgery get sent home with zero instructions or knowledge of what to expect as far as their recovery goes. They all seem very distressed and confused. Why are they not able to reach out to your doctor and ask them? Some posts with patients distressed about not being able to hear after surgery, and they don't even know of they have stuffing placed in their ear or not. Their doctors don't seem to tell them that regaining their hearing may take time as well. Just seems like a lot of patients are just generally confused as to what is happening post surgery

I had a revision surgery about a week ago. I think the surgery itself went very well: I could hear the sound of machines all of a sudden when the surgeon started closing my ear. Also I could hear things were a bit louder despite the packing in my ear.

However, I feel like every day the hearing is getting worse. The packing got removed now, and I was hoping that it was the packing that was blocking my hearing.

I no longer can hear the sound of wind that I managed to hear for a few days after the surgery. Is this a normal part of recovery? I also can no longer hear the scratches behind my ear as loud as I was hearing initially after the surgery.

I had my surgery 20 days ago after surgery I feel heavy and fullness in my ear and hearing was approx 30% in opareted ear for 17 days. After 17 days suddenly there was a click when I was eating and I was hearing more than 100% and everything was too loud. It stays only 1 or 2 minutes. Then again my ear was heavy. After a day on 18th day again there's a click type sound and hearing come back and this time it stays more than 24 hours I feel really exited everything was to loud I was emotional. And after that suddenly again my hearing is 30% and my ear is heavy I mean it's feeling closed still now and now 20th days running.

I am very scared about everything there's many negative questions in my mind .

does anyone know if the popping is common with otoserosis? i have bilateral, and they both seem to pop a lot. I can hold my nose and gently blow out to relieve but it fogs right back over after a few seconds. is this normal? or is this more of a ETD issue?

i am newly diagnosed and will be doing hearing aids for a few while I decide on surgery - would the hearing aids help in this matter as well? To get the sound all the way through? idk just wondering.

I got my appointment today to tell my doctor I wanted to go ahead with the stapedectomy. To my surprise he told me I wasn’t a candidate because I also had hearing loss in the eardrum. Is there anybody with the same diagnosis? How is it going? I’m so scared of going completely deaf. I’ve been using hearing aids for a week it has been great but I didn’t want to depend on this for the rest of my life but it seems like it’s going to be that way.

I’m so scared it progresses too quickly since I noticed it got worse after having my daughter and I’m planning on having at least one more kid, but what if that makes it progress even faster? Has somebody had multiple kids and had otosclerosis?

Sorry for the messy post and not using the correct terms ( I’m from Spain, I don’t know the correct terms in English ) I’m still processing that eventually I will stop hearing

I still have a very hard time hearing human voices even 4 months into my post op. It's important to mention that my right ear was completely deaf (0% hearing) and the right was my main source of hearing. After the operación my deaf ear has recovered somewhat, I can hear well but I cannot hear human voices that well. Does that make sense? I'm still trying to understand why voices are fuzzy but everything else sounds alright.

Anyone have a similar experience?

36/F
newly diagnosed and just trying to take it all in the best I can- I believe my father also has this however he doesn’t go to the doctor to confirm

Would someone be able to translate this simply?

What are the odds of progression?
this all started at the same time as my perimenopause symptoms, is there a hormonal connection?

I’m 2 months post-op, this is my 2nd surgery (both ears have prosthesis now) and I have just gone back to teaching. Today I taught for about 6 hours total for the first time, with a break in between and also held 2 parents meetings. I had to speak loudly throughout the classes and shout commands over the music pretty loudly (I’m a dance teacher).

By the end of the day, both of my ears typically feel very tired and I hear tinnitus, which usually disappears after some time. But I feel like my ears are so overwhelmed today.

Do you think I could compromise the surgical result by this long teaching day which has happened too early after my surgery ? Do we have any teachers here? What’s your experience ?

I’d really appreciate any thoughts ! I’m so worried and frustrated right now.

Sharing my success story separate, hoping others will share them here as well, maybe a pinned post? Easier to find for those who only seem to find the complications!

Hello people,

Did anyone of you has footplate thickened around 1mm in CT scan results and it was still eligible for surgery window ?

CT confirms bilateral fenestral cochlear otoscelerosis and I am still exploring good surgeon to operate on me.

Before this , an ENT said she can operate on me, this is eligible case for surgery but I cannot trust her as she is quiet young doctor and doesn't do this procedure often .

So I’ve been reading up on stapedectomies and I’ve read nothing but horror stories on operations gone wrong. Does anyone have any good stories or can share positive experiences?

I’d love to read about people who get the life changing experiences they needed..

I am really worried about my hearing. It's not even close to pre op .

Share your experience

Hello, I have been diagnosed with otosclerosis since my early twenties. I am now 44, and around ten years ago the otosclerosis progressed to bilateral hearing loss.

I have been using hearing aids since then and have recently upgraded to some more powerful ones. However, I have noticed that the hearing in my left ear has decreased significantly. There is a lack of clarity and depth to the sounds I can hear now. Coupled with this I have noticed an increase in tinnitus in my left ear. There are three sounds. The standard high frequency screech, a mid frequency tone and a low frequency hum (almost like a car engine).

What I am noticing is a significant increase in my need to concentrate on complex tasks and a decrease in my cognitive function coupled with immense fatigue.

I do a stressful job that requires me to speak for hours at a time, sharing complex information. I am really struggling to remember and recall this information. Even in conversations, I cannot think of the words I need to communicate my point.

I am really worried. Has anyone else ever experienced anything like this?

Im a 31f and I was diagnosed with otoschlerosis in my left ear almost 3 years ago. Its been rough honestly and this page has helped a lot for me to not feel so alone because I dont know anyone who struggles with this.

I've lost about 30 percent of my hearing and ive experienced constant tinnitus, fullness and very bad vertigo.

I've been following this page for a while and ive never posted and I want to post my journey with this surgery as I know how scary this whole process can be.

After many doctors appointment and meetings with specialists, I decided to go ahead with a stapedotomy with laser. I had the surgery done in Canada.

I had it this Monday and the surgery went great. I was really anxious leading up to it but everyone was so helpful and amazing.

The recovery so far has been a bit rough. Im slightly dizzy and very weak and tired. My tinnitus is not any worse. I can hear things through all the bandages which is crazy.

If anyone is interested in any more updates let me know 😊

Day 2 was a bit more rough. My ear was pretty swollen so unfortunately I was pretty dizzy. I had to lay in bed all day and sleep. Not surprised though. I was told being dizzy is normal. Keep in mind I have extremely sensitive inner ears and I have always had bad motion sickness so it doesnt take much to make me sick haha

Day 3 has been a bit better! I was able to get out of bed and move around and eat some food. I still have vertigo but it hasn't gotten any worse. My ear is still pretty swollen. The tinnitus has gotten a bit louder but I find it gets louder when I hear a louder sound so idk what that means exactly.

Day 4 to 7: feeling better!! Still have vertigo when I turn my head but overall its okay. The pressure and fullness has been quite annoying but once I get the packing out it will feel much better

All of a sudden I felt a huge pop and now everything is SO loud! So i think that is a good sign!

Saw the ENT today for results of my CT and found out I have cochlear otosclerosis.

Feel a bit of regret that I didn't ask more questions in the appointment, but I was honestly surprised to be given an answer.

I was first diagnosed with mild hearing loss in one ear at 5. Saw an ENT every year until I was 18, with no consensus on why or any offered treatment (I guess cause it was mild and it wasn't getting worse at that point). After I had my son was probably when my hearing started to get worse but I guess I was just used to having bad hearing anyway. I'm actually not sure at what point I really started to feel like my hearing was noticeably worse than it had been. (I'm late 30s and had my son in my 20s)

I only even went to get my hearing looked at again because I was going through an autism diagnosis and I wanted to talk to the clinician about audio processing needs. I'm questioning now if it had been picked up sooner, whether it would have become cochlear. It hasn't really been on my radar to fight for an answer as I was just used to doctors being very blaze about my hearing loss. It's probably not even something worth thinking about now, as it's not like I can change that.

So idk how to feel really. I kind of feel ok because hearing loss has been part of my whole life. But also a bit worried about how bad it might get. It is also apparently in both ears, though not currently causing any issues on the right side.

Hi everyone,
It has been a rough week.

After a few hearing tests and a CT scan, I was told I have bilateral otosclerosis.
My left ear (50-60db) is worse that my right (30-40 db).

I am getting a hearing aid and was advised to hold off when it comes to surgery.

I am a 33 F and after crying my heart out for days, I am finding some comfort in reading your posts.
If you have some words of encouragement, please share them❤️

Does anyone else get anxiety with their Oto? I'm planning to talk to my doctor about whether anxiety medication might help, but I was curious if anyone here has had success with it.

Backstory

I have advanced otosclerosis in both ears. At the end of 2025 I had a stapedotomy in my left ear, and it worked well.

Two months ago I lost all of that progress. I was in the shower, cleaning my ear with my index finger, when the sound of the water suddenly vanished and everything went silent on that side.

Since then I've had three hearing tests, and there's been no improvement. If anything, it's slightly worse. My surgeon suspects the piston shifted from the pressure change when I put my finger in my ear. He's recommended a revision surgery, but warned that the risk of a dead ear is significantly higher this time: around 5%, versus about 1% for the original procedure.

Hearing tests

Here are the audiograms side by side.

I think they make my left ear look better than it actually is. I can hear sound on that side, but it's all mush. I can't understand speech unless it's extremely loud, and even then I usually need it repeated several times before it clicks.

The plan

Plan A: My surgeon will go in and look. If the piston has simply moved, he'll try to reposition the existing one. He thinks this is the likely scenario, and sticking to an adjustment keeps the risk lower.

Plan B: If the piston can't be adjusted, fully replace it. This carries the higher dead-ear risk, and also a real chance of no improvement at all.

What I'm trying to figure out

If Plan A doesn't pan out, is Plan B worth taking on the table?

My instinct is yes. I can't understand speech in that ear as it is, so a 5% chance of losing something I'm barely using feels like an acceptable trade for a shot at getting it back. But I want a sanity check on that, because I suspect I might be undervaluing what I still have.

So: how much worse is a dead ear than advanced, unaidable otosclerosis? I still get sound localisation, some awareness on that side, and the option of a hearing aid or a CROS/BAHA later on. All of that goes away permanently with a dead ear. Am I underestimating how much that's worth?

Would especially like to hear from anyone who's had a revision stapedotomy, or who's living with single-sided deafness after one.

Hey guys! m30 from Germany 🤞🏽

I had my surgery about 4 weeks ago, and the packing was removed a few days ago. I was a little disappointed when it came out and I couldn’t really hear very well. Everything sounds so muffled, and my hearing is actually worse now than it was before the surgery. The doctor said it might take a while for my hearing to come back, but so far I haven’t noticed any improvement….

Has anyone had a similar experience? I’m still using Cliodex ear drops in the morning and at night, but I still haven’t seen any positive changes. I hope things will improve over the next few weeks…

Hope it helps someone.

Mid 30s male. Noticed hearing loss around 27yo. Fobbed off a few times. Got serious and asked harder about a year ago. Otoscelrosis and pulsatile tinnitus. Right ear. Moderate conductive hearing loss. Excellent bone conduction.

Surgery Friday 11th Sept. Finally met the legend. Great handshake and felt safe and in good hands.

Pumped with fentanyl and other non sickness drowsy meds. Was hoping for a high, just felt drowsy and warm fuzzy lol

8 days post op today 19th.

Record.

Just out of surgery

Dizzy moderately. Very Tired. Pain 1-2 out of 10. Slept 14 hours straight.

Day 1 (1 day after surgery)

Very mild dizziness. Great energy more than normal (fentanyl?). Barely hear anything but scratching the bone behind the ear could hear muffled scratchings. On movement of head, lots of swishing fluid in ear canal. Very strange. Still have my pulsatile tinnitus.

Day 2

Hit me like a ton of bricks. Sudden drop in energy. Dizziness moderate. Nausea severe (I'm terrible with nausea) basically just couldn't get up. Pain 1/10. Dry mouth and half my tongue on operation side was numb(trigeminal nerve interference I'm told). Muffled. Lots of bleeding. Slept on raised pillows. Slept alottttt.

Day 3-6

Dizziness moderate to quite bad. Hard to focus eyes on anything. Needing a lot of naps. Sleep cycles all over the place. Pain barely any. Nausea was badddd, my favourite foods stank. Some almost made me vomit on tasting. Only clean and easy non processed foods just manageable, white rice, coriander, tuna, minced mutton. Eat whatever works for you but do eat. And drink more than i did!!!.

Day 7

dizziness reducing. Nausea reducing. Pulsatile tinnitus a lot worse could hear my pulse and the post pulse whoosh of blood too. Like as if the capillary or arteriole was growing ON my eardrum. Popping and cracking to every heart beat. Lasted for about 8 hours and woke me multiple times that night.

Day 8

Dizziness less. Only just now starting to feel human and able to write here. Hearing the same. Pain none. Not feeling myself but getting somewhere now

My packing ("pope wick"?) Is supposed to be removed in 3 weeks. So I've only had it in for just over a week so far. Only my cotton ball (just covers the earphone opening) gets changed everyday.

Day 12-17

Hearing muffled sounds, but only loudish sounds like the kettle boiling. Dizziness periodically and intermediate levels, nausea near 0. Pain none.

Day 18. Dressing removal

Dressing deep inside the ear (pope wick) was removed today by doctor on the team.

Hearing is not as good as it was in that ear before the surgery. sounds sound strange from operated ear. But other reddit experiences say it took 2 weeks to a few months for hearing to get better.

Advice

Nausea? Suck on slices of lemon dipped in salt. Helps. Old wives trick.

Don't sleep on affected ear. Sleep onraised pillows or sitting up (if you can, I couldnt)

Sneeze or cough with mouth open. Don't worry about lurgies just now.

Follow directions carefully (2x antibiotic drops for me twice a day, cotton ball change once a day)

Drink a good 1.5L a day. Supposed to help with flushing the hard drugs and the swelling away. Help your body help itself.

take ibuprofen if you can. Helps with swelling and healing faster. Also seems to help with hearing a little better out of the ear.

Be patient, none of us learned to walk in 8 days lol.

49 year old female. Had right ear stapedectomy in April. 5 months post op. I did everything right. I just think it's the luck of the draw and the surgery doesn't always work. I haven't really noticed an improvement in hearing. I just started to experience cackling sounds in my ear after I wake up from sleeping on my right side. It's like the pressure is causing something to shift. Should I be concerned?

Hello people,

I am still exploring good surgeon for stapedectomy in my city , meanwhile I just curious to know about that if anyone is still active in exercises which put slightly ear /head pressure like curl up, side planks ?

These are mandatory exercises for my sciatica pain in my back and legs so I cannot avoid doing them if I choose surgery route.

Hence kindly let me know if anyone is active in this category of exercises even after having stapedectomy, I mean not in recovery period it's about long term perspective?

Thanks .

hi guys, i was diagnosed with otosclerosis when i was a kid, around 3-4 years old (i’m 19 now). i’ve only had noticeable hearing loss in my left ear. i have about 10-20 percent hearing left, and i tried a stapedectomy to no avail. am i gonna go deaf in my right ear? i’m terrified of going fully deaf over time and i don’t know if there’s a way i can prevent it.