Eustachian tube dilation success stories

Hi Kelly,

My illness began December 2015.  Over a period of 20 months I saw 7 doctors, one Nurse Practitioner and  two audiologists.  I underwent three surgeries (the first two did nothing to help me...and you must know that lots in medicine is pretty much, "Let's try this and see if it works.", took lots of medication and tried lots of questionable 'stuff' that I read about in blogs.  What is important to mention here is that I do lots of research.  I read numerous articles from medical websites and, yes, I read hundreds of blogs from people suffering ear and sinus problems.  I even diagnosed my ETD before an ENT doctor told me what was wrong.  And, by the way, that doctor told me that nothing could be done.  He did not know that in terms of information about this disfunction of the eustachian tubes, I was already pretty well informed.  I continued to research.  After discovering that there was a fairly new surgery...the balloon dilation...being performed both here in the U.S. as well as in other countries, I began to read more.  I saw a segment on the Doctors program where Dr. Brian Weeks and Diane Taylor talked about her success with the balloon surgery on one ear (which she had done twice...it worked the first time but I seem to recall that she got a bad cold and the ETD returned so she had it done a second time), and then I watched the entire surgery done in Germany on YouTube.  I decided that I would have this surgery so I searched for a surgeon who did this surgery on a regular basis and who had a great reputation.  Dr. Brian Weeks was the ONLY surgeon who was an expert on the balloon procedure in my state of California.  I wrote to him giving him a complete history of my illness.  He set up a consultation appointment and after seeing me they accepted me as a surgical patient to have the procedure done on both of my ears.  The surgery was done on July 13 of last year.  I knew that this surgery does not work for everyone. I also knew that IF it was going to work, it might take some time before the eustachian tubes began to function as they were designed to do.  There was no immediate change for me right after the surgery.  I knew to be patient.  Then on day 11 as I was blowing bloody mucus from my nose...pop! pop!...both of the tubes opened.  They have been working properly ever since. I also wanted to know what had caused this illness from the get go.  I suspected severe allergy so I also went to a wonderful allergist who very patiently listened to my months long history...and my suspicions of a serious allergy.  He ordered blood tests for allergens.  Several were found that had high positives.  I have now been on allergy shots for many weeks and this is a long term program. The ETD was caused by severe overproduction of mucus in my sinuses.  That began with daily coughing in December 2015.  The mucus went into my lungs and infected my ears...and, well, the rest is history. I am thrilled to report that the coughing is close to zero.  Along with the shots, I have changed my home environment to get rid of the allergens...AND my eustachian tubes are still working well.  Hope this information helps and I wish the best for you. ETD is a horrible illness that pretty much brings normal life to a halt.  Keep searching for answers.  Make sure you have really good doctors and never give up.

Hi again Kelly,

I initially responded to you because you wanted to hear from people who had had successful surgeries.  As I wrote, both of my eustachian tubes began to function correctly after my July 13, 2017 surgery in San Diego.  It took several days before they opened...but I read about this surgery extensively and all of the medical websites that deal with this surgery will tell you that every patient is different.  Some will have success and some will not. In the event that the procedure works, the results will be different for each patient. It is possible that the reason I had success was that I also attacked the CAUSE of my overproduction of mucus.  I discovered that I had severe allergies and that led to my removing everything in my house that was making me sick:  carpet, drapes, etc.  I began using Lysol on pillows, mattress, etc.  And bedding was washed every week in very hot water.  AND I began taking allergy shots. My illness had to be approached from multiple fronts...and it has worked!!

You did not mention if you had searched for the cause of your problem.  The most common cause of Eustachian tube dysfunction is when the tube gets inflamed and mucus or fluid builds up (in the middle ear). This can be caused by a cold, the flu, a sinus infection, or allergies. It stands to reason that if the cause is not found and attacked, the tube will not begin to open and close...or if it does move, it may not continue to work properly without fixing the inner ear.

Many doctors claim high success rates, however, I have not met one yet who provides patients with lists of names with e-mails of their successes.  Even if you did get such a list and were able to talk to these folks, you have to remember that every patient is different.  They have different symptoms.  They have different causes. They have experienced different treatments leading up to the balloon dilation.  Every patient leaning toward this surgery must do so by being well informed.  Make sure you actually have ETD.  Make sure the physician is experienced.  Be hopeful but do not have unreasonable expectations.  Again...hope this helps.

Kelly I was able to contact another person with a successful story, she had sinus problems and she got the ballon dilatation in San Diego. After 6 years she is doing very well,

Hi ive been suffering for etd for 8 years!! Self diagnosed has 2 ent look at it both said it is possible you have Etd but theirs no way to be certain. One offered me grommets but his success rate was 20%! Im looking to hopefully get baloon dilation. Im from the UK any suggestions not sure who does it in uk might need to go america for it.

Kelly sorry to hear it didnt work for you. One thing that did help a lot was a fruitarian diet and lots of tumeric for around a 1 month. I felt it would have cleared up if I carried on but the hunger got to me! Might be worth looking into

Hello ,

At the time of my madtoidectomy surgery they also did ET dilation by ballonoplasty but I don’t think it has worked .

I had the balloon dilation, it will be 5 weeks tomorrow. Ears seemed to improve for a while, but now are just as bad as ever. I have a lot of autoimmune health issues, but not sure what is causing the ETD. It is miserable. The pain and popping in both ears is maddening. I have a lot of post-nasal drip, but the skin allergy tests were all negative. Nothing I take helps. I have had issues with chronic sinus infections. I took sudafed for a very long time and stopped, and I feel like this coincides with the beginning of my ear problems. Not sure what the next step is, but living with this everyday is exhausting. The pressure in my ears is all I can think about sometimes, it is really affecting my daily life.

In regards to the balloon procedure, it was much more intense than I imagined it would be and recovery was difficult. I also had some 'cleaning' of my ethmoid sinuses at the same time. The bleeding from the nose was constant for nearly 24 hours with several serious bleeding episodes. Still having scabs cut out of my nose 4 weeks later.

Ear tubes were suggested at my last appointment, but right now I don't want to do any more surgery.

Kelly, I had the dilation done about 1 year ago, by Dr Weeks in San Diego. It was a success, but it took 6-8 weeks to heal - I was deaf for a few weeks, and then gradually that cleared.

My prior symptoms were each time I flew in an airplane (about 4 times a year), I would come down with sinusitis, go to an ENT (not Dr Weeks). They would prescribe steroids and antibiotics, but the symptoms would persist for about 6-8 weeks. This went on for a couple of years, and I was seriously considering never traveling by air again. A friend who is a Nurse Practitioner suggested that it was Eustachian tube dysfunction.

Dr Weeks did a sinus surgery first, saying he thought that might cure me. It did not, as I got sick from the next flight. He then did the Eustachian tube dilation, and I have been able to fly (4 or 5 times) without getting sick.

Now the bad news! Dr Weeks does not manage his time well, and showed up late (2 or more hours) for the initial consult, 3-4 hours late for each surgery. His latest bill for a post operative follow up in January 2018 just showed up in December 2018 for $1000! Avoid him, and see the PA Janine Shively for followups. Its a shame that he is the only option for the surgery.