1. Community
  2. Ears, nose, throat and mouth
  3. Eustachian Tube Dysfunction

Balloon Dilation and Tubes

Posted , 3 users are following.

helena34458
helena34458

Im from Canada and i just had the Balloon Dialation surgery for a blocked eustation tube ETD .

After attempting 3 times to have tubes in my ears which made it worst for me major imbalance issues and vertigo 😔😔

In Canada it cost me 5000.00 for the surgery im 2 weeks post op at the moment still recovering havent noticed anything yet am told to wait 1 mnth .

Rt now i have throbbing pain,headaches ,imbalance issues and fatigue so im taking Tylenol for now originally the pain meds were Tramadol a narcotic but i needed to get off them.Hopefully this helps il keep you all posted @1mnth cross my fingers this works ive been suffering for 2 years 😔😔

1 like, 11 replies

11 Replies

  • judi44826
    judi44826 helena34458

    Posted

    this sounds familiar i have imbalance frim thr tube in right ear im going to have it removed i think it does aggravate dizzinessgood luck to you im st onr momth tomorrow very hopeful keep in touch

    • helena34458
      helena34458 judi44826

      Posted

      I did the same i had then removed and my dizziness subsided .

      This balloon dilation was my last resort as it is more invasive.

      Good luck with the tube removal hope this all works out for you 😊😊

  • judi44826
    judi44826 helena34458

    Posted

    hello HELENA Good luck to you i relate to the tubes causing dizziness . I AM Having them removed next week

  • michael11955
    michael11955 helena34458

    Posted

    Dear Helena,just seen your posting & you have my sympathy.I know exactly how you feel ,

    ETD is very difficult for doctors as so far I've seen my own GP, 7 four other specialists & as yet none of them has a sensible answer. I've had lots of erring, merring,could be,,maybe & one don't know .The only thing they all agree on is that here in England nobody recommends Balloon Dilation because of the side effects the trauma it causes.Plus the fact that the success rate is minimal. Living with it is difficult because family & friends just don't see it.My imbalance isn't good & the fatigue I encounter is not all that bad as I can just lie down & close my eyes .At present I go to a couple of mindfulness classes which I find a great help.Also a couple of books I could recommend if you think it might help.

    I wish you well

    Michael

    • helena34458
      helena34458 michael11955

      Posted

      Dear Michael,

      Why doesnt England not believe in Balloon Dilation ? What kind of side effects and trauma does it cost im very curious if you dont mind me asking .

      Yes i would be interested in the book reccomendation .

      Thank You

      Helena

    • judi44826
      judi44826 michael11955

      Posted

      Wow, like Helena, I am pretty surprised about the "trauma" comment regarding balloon dilation. It is so common here in the U.S. My Dr. does it all the time. My ET is open and fine. I am anxious to see how I do when we fly to Hawaii this summer. All went well. My only problem is that I still get fluid in my middle ear which is more likely due to my allergy issues, not the ET. I have the tube to help with that, but it isn't helping. I saw my Dr. today and he said I should give it one more week, then he'll remove it if I still want it. The ET balloon procedure is completely safe......maybe not 100% successful, but for me it was.

    • michael11955
      michael11955 helena34458

      Posted

      Dear Helen,It's not that the doctors don't believe in it,but for the reasons that you & others on this site complain so much about .The numbers that get relief from this operation are tiny & the side effects are dreadful.

      I don't know what the private cost would be,because we have the National Health Service that picks up the tab.

      The little book of mindfulness--edited by Tiddy Rowan

      100 Days Happier--by Domonique Bertolucci.

      Best money I've ever spent.

      I hope you'll get as much as I have from them

      Michael

    • michael11955
      michael11955 judi44826

      Posted

      Dear Judy,delighted it's worked for you.See my reply to Judy

      Michael

    • helena34458
      helena34458 judi44826

      Posted

      Hey judi ,

      I meant to ask if you dont mind me asking as i revealed in Canada it cost me 5000 dollars .

      How much in USA incase i have to have it done again ?

      Thanks

      Helena

    • judi44826
      judi44826 helena34458

      Posted

      Helena, So far nothing. Medicare and Blue Cross covered most of it.

      I am hoping for very little leftover.

      I thought Canada had Socialized Medicine ?? I guess this is considered elective ?

      I tried to talk my ENT out of removing my ear tube yesterday but he talked me into keeping it one more week.

      I just feel that I feel more plugged up with it in there......especially since you can't "pop" your ear with it in !

  • helena34458
    helena34458

    Posted

    Usually OHIP covers most surgeries this one wasnt covered my husband and i also have Manulife Insurance thru our companies but they wouldnt cover it either so i guess like you said it was elective therefore 5000.00 later 😭

Back to top

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.