Headaches and Hearing Loss after AN surgery

[Shay-Redmond]

  I had a small AN removed about 10 months ago and have been suffering from realy bad headaches since. Will they go away? I have also suffered a 45-50db hearing loss in my bad ear. I have recently failed 2 medicals for this reason. Is there any way to boost my hearing without using a hearing aid? Also is it possible for my hearing to improve in my bad ear due to nerve regeneration?
  P.s. They never put the little piece of skull they removed during surgery back. Could this cause my headaches
                                    Thank You and God Bless
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Dear Shay,
A significant advance over the years in surgery for acoustic neuromas are
procedures to preserve hearing and motor function to the face.  Beyond resecting
the tumor, this is a major goal in surgery for patients, especially those with functional
hearing.  During surgery the nerve may be stuck to the tumor and some manipulation
of the nerve may be necessary.  This can cause a transient worsening of
the patient's hearing function after surgery and can last for a variable amount
of time.  There is no real treatment for this save time and patience.  If
necessary a hearing aid may be used.  The nerves don't really regenerate and
form new connections when a transient dysfunction after surgery is seen, rather
they recover slowly from the injury.
The cause for your headaches is unclear, but is not likely due to the bone
being left out after surgery.  Many surgeons do not replace the bone and have
excellent results.  Consult your surgeon for a better look into the cause of
your headaches.  It will depend on the quality and location of the headaches,
as there are many causes for a headache.
Good luck.