CSF leak surgery did help headaches

[horselip]

Hi-
I had surgery in late November to plug up the CSF leak. First I had a lot of testing to see where the leak was. The surgeon was an ENT surgeon but a Pituitary surgeon was available if they need to enter into the sella region.

The surgery was done through my nose and a patch was made using sinus tissue. Two nights in the hospital. Finally feel healed for the most part. I've gone from having moderate to severe constant headaches to almost none. Been able to go off of Morphine and pain meds. I did have a sinus infection that required two rounds of antibiotics. I am finally coming round and feeling better now. Thought that this was worth sharing.

Horselip


This discussion is related to Head Pain.

[testdeprived]

glad you're doing well horsey.glad you're doing well horsey.

[horselip]

I had Pituitary surgery in Jan 2006. Ends up that I had a small cranial leak from this that never closed up. I did not have the usual drip of clear metallic fluid out of a nostril or down the back of my throat. They do not do blood patches with cranial leaks.

I had a headache. This headache dramatically improved when I layed down. So as part of getting treatment for the headache, my pain management docs had me do the testing for a CSF leak. Ends up that I had this one for nearly three years. And it didn't kill me! I had also come down with viral meningitis ~six months previous to the first patch surgery.

Ends up the first patch did not hold, and I had a second patch July 2010. Same symptoms.

The way that they found out definitively that I had a leak was that I did some special nuclear scans where indium (a dye) was injected into my spinal fluid and then special scan were taken over a three day period. Some on a tilt table.

If you've just had surgery I would give it a chance to close up on it's own. Lay flt, frink lots of caffeine, And just know that you aren't going to keel over from it if it is a small leak. If it persists for a long time then yes, you will need to get it repaired.

Hope this helps

[vegachka]

That's great news!!! Congratulations on feeling better and getting "patched up." If I may ask, how did you know you had a CSF leak? Did you have some kind of surgery that preceded it? Why did you decide to have surgery, as opposed to wait, or do a lumbar drain?

Thank you!

[rumpled]

Thanks for sharing! I know that is a risk with pituitary and brain surgeries and can happen all on its own.
I hope the patch stays!