Thanks to all the doctors that have answered my questions in the past. My ear is having very strange feeling two years post op face and neck lift . It feels half asleep and I cannot put the phone to it and hear properly. When drying my hair it just has funny feelings. I can feel hot and cold on the entire ear and pin pricks but it feels horrible and pulling .. it does not feel normal like the other ear. Is it the GAN or a suture that is wrapped around it? I am afraid to undergo any more surgery.
Answer: Pain The greater auricular nerve innervates the ear lobule and helix. Since your symptoms involve the entire ear, other nerves may be involved. You may benefit from a revision to remove any deep sutures or scars that may be causing these symptoms.
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Answer: Pain The greater auricular nerve innervates the ear lobule and helix. Since your symptoms involve the entire ear, other nerves may be involved. You may benefit from a revision to remove any deep sutures or scars that may be causing these symptoms.
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April 29, 2017
Answer: Nerve issue Hi suze0450,That sounds like a terrible problem! How miserable. I am sorry you are having trouble.The great auricular nerve supplies the ear lobe (see the attached reference) and so having the entire ear affected, if I understand your description correctly, would be an odd presentation for the great auricular nerve alone. It would also not affect your hearing. My advice for you would be to discuss with your surgeon, but also consider seeing an ear specialist, such as a neuro-otologist to ensure that there is nothing else going on.Good luck and please keep us updated!
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April 29, 2017
Answer: Nerve issue Hi suze0450,That sounds like a terrible problem! How miserable. I am sorry you are having trouble.The great auricular nerve supplies the ear lobe (see the attached reference) and so having the entire ear affected, if I understand your description correctly, would be an odd presentation for the great auricular nerve alone. It would also not affect your hearing. My advice for you would be to discuss with your surgeon, but also consider seeing an ear specialist, such as a neuro-otologist to ensure that there is nothing else going on.Good luck and please keep us updated!
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April 30, 2017
Answer: I think it is likely that you have some type of sensory nerve injury related to your facelift. These are not common but the possibility is almost always part of the facelift consent because even with great care it is possible to disturb the sensation in the distribution of these nerves. As you are living it, the results can persist in a rare situations like yours for a very long time indeed and quite the possibility this can be a permanent issue. In 2013 Surgeons John Barbour M.D., Matthew Lorio M.D. and David Halpern M.D. at Georgetown University Hospital Department of Plastic Surgery published a paper in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery reported on 4 patients with Great auricular nerve dysesthesia after facelift. The nerves were widely explored and decompressed. All patients reported improvement in symptoms. John Barbour, M.D. is in private practice in Washington DC. You might consider contacting him to see if he can assist you.
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April 30, 2017
Answer: I think it is likely that you have some type of sensory nerve injury related to your facelift. These are not common but the possibility is almost always part of the facelift consent because even with great care it is possible to disturb the sensation in the distribution of these nerves. As you are living it, the results can persist in a rare situations like yours for a very long time indeed and quite the possibility this can be a permanent issue. In 2013 Surgeons John Barbour M.D., Matthew Lorio M.D. and David Halpern M.D. at Georgetown University Hospital Department of Plastic Surgery published a paper in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery reported on 4 patients with Great auricular nerve dysesthesia after facelift. The nerves were widely explored and decompressed. All patients reported improvement in symptoms. John Barbour, M.D. is in private practice in Washington DC. You might consider contacting him to see if he can assist you.
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Answer: Local anesthesia Have your doctor try some local anesthesia injections to where the injury seems to be and see if how it modifies your ear feelings. Helps to localize the area of problem for suture or injury.
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Answer: Local anesthesia Have your doctor try some local anesthesia injections to where the injury seems to be and see if how it modifies your ear feelings. Helps to localize the area of problem for suture or injury.
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May 1, 2017
Answer: Numb ear The great auricular nerve supplies sensation to the lower third of the ear and if it is cut you will likely have a permanent loss of feeling in this area that is unlikely to change this far after your surgery. There is no connection with this nerve and the nerve that provides for hearing, so I do not know what this is. Have an ENT look at the ear and test the hearing if this is a real symptom and persists. If it were entrapped and not cut I would expect a better chance of it coming back over 12-18 months. It would be a challenge to find both ends of the nerve to try to stitch it back together. That would be heroic, expensive, and unlikely to correct the problem. So, the risk/benefit ratio for this is not good.
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May 1, 2017
Answer: Numb ear The great auricular nerve supplies sensation to the lower third of the ear and if it is cut you will likely have a permanent loss of feeling in this area that is unlikely to change this far after your surgery. There is no connection with this nerve and the nerve that provides for hearing, so I do not know what this is. Have an ENT look at the ear and test the hearing if this is a real symptom and persists. If it were entrapped and not cut I would expect a better chance of it coming back over 12-18 months. It would be a challenge to find both ends of the nerve to try to stitch it back together. That would be heroic, expensive, and unlikely to correct the problem. So, the risk/benefit ratio for this is not good.
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