stapedectomy & taste

Tinytears · 11-05-2009, 03:58 PM

Hi, Had my stapedectomy yesterday Nov 4th 2009 and everything went fine. I had no nausea (except from the painkillers) and no real pain to speak of. The whole procedure was fully explained, including the fact that the surgeon would be placing nerve monitors on my face as a precaution. The anaesthetist also explained that they would need to drop my blood pressure to slow any bleeding and that the monitor would be placed in the artery on my wrist. It made me feel more confident about the whole operation, if not a little queasy to hear all the details!

But afterwards the surgeon mentioned that the nerve, i think it's the chorda tympani, was torn as it was in the way for completing the operation. I now have only a metallic taste in my mouth, and am unable to recognise the flavour of anything. Has this happened to any one else? I didn't ask, as I was still groggy at the time, as to whether it would repair itself and how long it would take. It's really unpleasant.

niteskylover · 11-06-2009, 02:54 PM

hi tinytears....i had a weird sort of taste for a few days and even know (2 weeks post op) I am not sure i am tasting things fully. My dr. did not mention that nerve at all, but i think you should call and find out what to expect! Glad it all went well!! I"m sure it will heal, and I have heard others talk of metallic taste too. Take care

Tinytears · 11-12-2009, 03:35 PM

Thanks. I will be visiting the surgeon tomorrow to have the packing removed and I will ask him about the taste then. I can now detect a few flavours, mainly coffee, and my husband picked out all the coffee flavoured Revel chocolates for me!

) My mouth is no longer so dry either. However, on my tongue on the same side as the surgery, I continue to have a numbness, and a feeling that I have burnt my tongue but I know I haven't. I also have minor stiffness in my jaw. Any ideas how long it takes to fade?

niteskylover · 11-13-2009, 12:39 PM

hi again...my tongue did feel sort of weird after surgery and my face felt almost numb by my ear. It probably lasted close to a week? My jaw wasn't at all stiff, just similar to that novacane feeling?

ChrystalinTtown · 12-10-2009, 01:34 PM

I have experienced the lack of taste and a sort of numbness feeling in my tongue...only on the side my Stapendectomy was done. Surgery was about 3 weeks ago and no change yet. My Mother had a Stapendectomy revision a couple years ago and it took about a year for her sense of taste to fully return. Dr said that is normal though do to the severing of the nerve. It isn't serious and should pass.