Help! Critical Ear Infections: TECA/LBO Surgery?

[chrispro]

Update: Pixie is having TECA surgery tomorrow. After seeing a few specialists, her ear was found to be too
damaged for a more conservative approach to be effective.
Unfortunately, she may also need surgery on her other ear but we are taking it one step a time.

She's in good spirits and has good energy but this is going to be a major ordeal. The surgery is difficult,
has a number of known risks and complications and a 50% or higher chance of recurrence within a year's time.

Hoping for the best.

[Rugbysmom]

Oh, dear.....I'm sorry she has to go through that, but if she has to I'm sending along lots of hugs for her, as well as positive thoughts & prayers that she will come through fine & will recover quickly & completely, with no complications! Please update us when you can! We're all pulling for Pixie!

[Lu Ci and Ri Ki]

I will be praying for an easy and successful surgery for Pixie. Will be watching for an update - we are waiting with you. Hugs to you.

[Wonka & Nilla]

Thinking of Pixie today and hoping the procedure goes smoothly. Wishing her a speedy recovery.

[SiennasMommy]

How is Pixie doing?

[chrispro]

Update: Pixie's surgery was successful with no complications and she is recovering well. She spent an uneventful first night
and has started eating/drinking/moving around today. Hopefully, if things continue going well, I can pick her up tomorrow.

Thank you all so much for your support, it means a lot and I am so grateful things have gone well so far. Surgery day was extremely difficult
emotionally, it was the first time I experience taking my pet through something like that and it was certainly one of the most
stressful experiences. I just couldn't stop worrying and wondering what was happening.

[Lu Ci and Ri Ki]

Three cheers for Pixie. I'm so glad things are going well and will continue to pray for her recovery.

[Wonka & Nilla]

Thank you for the update. Sending best wishes for speedy healing.

[Rugbysmom]

So glad Pixie made it through surgery & is doing well so far! Sending along lots more hugs, prayers, & positive thoughts that her recovery will continue to go fine & she will be doing much better real soon! Thanks for the update & please keep us posted!

[chrispro]

Update: This update can hopefully give people considering this surgery (TECA of the ear) some idea of what to expect post-surgery.

Week 1 post-surgery notes:
- The surgery site (sutures around the incision) around her ear was a bit red/swollen at first but nothing alarming, it gradually became less red and returned to a normal color.
- Pain medication made her very sleepy (for 4-7 hours usually, she would be in a deep sleep) which isn't a bad thing post-surgery.
- Her energy levels varied greatly: some days she slept nearly the whole day, some day she was quite lively.
- Occasionally she would wake up in the middle of night and just sit and stare into space looking a bit worn out. To me, this was a sign of pain, and I would immediately give her pain meds when this occurred.
- her appetite was HUGE and I made the mistake of feeding her a bit too much food at first, which caused some minor vomiting. Small doses are better at first even if your dog acts like they are starving.
- wearing the cone was mandatory and necessary to prevent any damage to the incision from scratching or rubbing.
- The only real issue is paralysis of the left eyelid. She is no longer able to blink with her left eye, and we have to administer eye drops every 2 hours. This is a common side effect of this surgery and can
possibly resolve itself over weeks/months. It is also possible that the paralysis is permanent.

Week 2 post-surgery notes:
- surgery site looks great and very clean
- energy levels are way up, less "sleepy days"
- pain medication no longer seems necessary and was slowly discontinued
- back on her regular meal schedule
- Left eyelid remains paralyzed.

Week 3 post-surgery note:
- The cone is no longer really necessary, especially if someone is in the same room as her.
- Energy levels and overall demeanor are good overall: lively, playful and no signs of pain. Basically, she is back to her pre-surgery self.
- Left eyelid remains paralyzed.

Summary:
After 3 weeks post-surgery. I am quite happy with the progress and Pixie is back to her normal self. She is much better
than she was pre-surgery, has good energy, is lively and some of her balance issues seem to have also improved.

Thankfully we avoided major complications (post-surgery infections, infections around the incision site, worsening of balance, persisting pain...).
The left-eye paralysis is one minor complication we have encountered, but is considered manageable and will hopefully go away in the next few weeks/months.