1. Community
  2. Ears, nose, throat and mouth
  3. Cholesteatoma

Laser treatment for cholesteatoma

Posted , 14 users are following.

P17745
P17745

My 5yr old son has been diagnosed with cogenital cholesteatoma and we are considering laser surgery as an alternative. Does any one here have any experiences with this type of surgery that they can share here? Does anyone know what the reasons are why the laser method is not more widely adopted other than the cost ? Are there any limitations or restrictions to the method compared to conventional surgery method, especially with regards to operation on children? Thanks

1 like, 31 replies

31 Replies

Prev
  • Shell321
    Shell321 P17745

    Posted

    Hi my son has this he is 13 and has had 2 lots of surgery and we have just been advised that it is back again last surgery was aug16 and he needs it done again, we are very interested in finding out about laser surgery, my son doesn’t know yet that he is going to need more surgery he is not going to be happy any info on laser surgery would be great x
    • nicola13480
      nicola13480 Shell321

      Posted

      Hi Shell

      My experience so far is that the surgery is the same from the point of view of how long it takes and the site of the cut behind the ear etc. It's still grim. The success rate is far higher though for reasons that are best explained by an expert to you. The best thing to do is to search for a specialist cholesteatoma surgeon with laser surgery. I'm sure you will find the website for the surgeon in Gloucester. This site won't allow links to be posted for obvious reasons as it would be inundated with commercial sites linking to themselves. That surgeon's website has a lot of information on it which you will find helpful. 

      It does feel like it's never going to end sometimes doesn't it. 

      xx

  • tracy89258
    tracy89258 P17745

    Posted

    Hello, my little boy is nearly 7 years old. We found out about his hearing impairment in his right ear in January when he and his twin brother had hearing tests at school. This led to me making an appointment for him with my ENT.  We found out about his cholesteatoma recently, after a CT scan confirmed the ENTs diagnosis.  The neurologist has ordered an MRI based on his balance issues and all the falls he has had. I have already talked to a surgeon at children’s hospital who told me surgery will be within 3 months. He also needs an abdominal hernia repair, which they will hopefully be able to do both surgeries at once. 

    I am scared to death for my little guy. I’ve been doing my own research and learned about laser surgery for his ear.  However, I don’t see any information on laser surgery in North America. We live in Canada. Any surgeons who are skilled at laser as an alternative in Canada? Obviously, we want what’s best for our son.

     Is flying an issue with people who have cholesteatoma? 

    I’m really sorry for those of you who have suffered so much from this and I hope you get relief soon. 

  • kamy52095
    kamy52095 P17745

    Posted

    One of the best ENT surgeons in Vancouver (Canada) 

     can be found at Saint Paul's Hospital. Dr.Westerberg. Not sure whether he does cholesteatoma surgery using the laser method but he is a brilliant surgeon specialized in ear issues. Worth contacting him. Wishing you all the best.

     

  • lucy94025
    lucy94025 P17745

    Posted

    Hi There,

    Sorry to reply late in the day.

    I had surgery to remove a large, complex cholesteatoma two weeks ago under Mr Robert Harris.

    He uses a laser both privately and in the NHS at St Georges in London. I believe very few NHS ENT depts use a laser.

    He does these operations regularly and also works with children and is absolutely lovely.

    I was terrified about the surgery and he really put me at ease.

    Good luck and feel free to ask me any questions.

    L x

Back to top
Prev

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.