Please Read Before Surgery

This information is to help you care for your ear before and after surgery and to answer many of the commonly asked questions.

- Please do not take any valuables to the hospital. This includes jewelry and handbags.
- Please do not apply makeup prior to surgery.
- Do not eat or drink after midnight before surgery, including water.
- If you put your hair up, please have it come off the top of your head.
- All work or school notes need to be requested prior to surgery (please see document in the portal).

Please ensure you have access to the portal (azhear.ema.md) and you have selected your pharmacy in the portal. Any prescriptions will be sent electronically to the pharmacy you have selected in the portal.

DAY OF SURGERY
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PRECAUTIONS
- Do not take any unnecessary chance of catching a cold. Avoid undue exposure or fatigue. Should you catch a cold, treat the cold in your usual manner. Contact the medical team via the portal (azhear.ema.md) if you should develop ear symptoms.

- Do not "pop" your ears by holding your nose and blowing air through the Eustachian tube. If it is necessary to sneeze, do so with your mouth open. Excessive air into your ear can lead to air accumulating around the implant impeding healing and possibly leading to infection.

- You may anticipate a certain amount of pulsation, popping, clicking, and other sounds in the ear. There may be a feeling of fullness in the ear. Occasional sharp shooting pains are not unusual. Additionally, it may feel as if there is liquid in the ear.

- Do not plan to drive home from the hospital. No public transportation may be used. Please arrange to have someone available to drive you home.

- Minor degrees of dizziness or lightheadedness may be present with head motion and are normal after ear surgery. If the feeling persists for seven days after surgery or increases, please contact the office via the portal (azhear.ema.md).

- A bloody nose may develop in the first few days after surgery. The bleeding is residual blood that accumulates in the ear and drains down the tube that connects the ear to the back of the nose. The nose bleeding should stop within 4 days after surgery. If the bleeding persists for more than 4 days after surgery, please contact the office via the poral (azhear.ema.md).

- You may resume light aerobic exercise one week after surgery. Please do not start any weight lifting or straining for at least three weeks after surgery. You should not lift greater than 20 pounds for the first three weeks after surgery (this includes your own body weight).

- Do not "pop" your ears by holding your nose and blowing air through the eustachian tube. If it is necessary to sneeze, do so with your mouth open.
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​- Taste disturbance and mouth dryness are not uncommon for a few weeks following surgery. In some patients, recovery may be prolonged.

- Ear numbness is not uncommon for a few months following surgery. In some patients, the numbness is prolonged.

- If you wear glasses avoid the arm of the glasses pressing on the incision behind your ear. The pressure on the area of the glasses could impede healing, increase pain or cause infection.

DRESSING
Please remove the dressing the morning following surgery. Cut the dressing in the region above the eye where the dressing comes together. Glue has been placed on your incision. You can shower in the morning after surgery. Please make sure you have removed the dressing and washed the area prior to coming in for your initial stimulation of the cochlear implant.

PAIN
Mild intermittent ear pain is not unusual during the first 2-3 weeks. Pain above or in front of the ear is common when chewing. Occasional shooting pain in the ear is normal. If an incision has been made around your ear, you can expect the region to remain tender and to have some discomfort for a period of a few weeks. The nerve that innervates the ear has been injected with a long-term anesthetic. For at least the first few days after surgery, please take ibuprofen as directed every four hours while awake. Please inform the office via the portal (azhear.ema.md) if you are allergic to any medications.

NUMBNESS
The nerve that supplies sensation to the ear comes from the back of the skull and crosses across the typical location of the incision. The ear and surrounding scalp may be numb. The numb area will decrease in size until it resolves over several months.

EXTERNAL DEVICES
The external device was delivered to you on the day of surgery. The hospital/surgery center purchased the device for you and will invoice your insurance. Please open the device and review all of the materials including the packing list to ensure all items are enclosed and that this is what you had requested. It is helpful for you to review all of the written material concerning your cochlear implant prior to your first visit. Please verify that you have received the correct colors and components of the implant prior to opening any boxes.

The external cochlear implant has a warranty. Please review the warranty documents. Arizona Hearing Center provides clinical support for your cochlear implant (programming, post-operative care, hearing issues). Any warranty or service issues regarding the device should be directed to the implant manufacturer. The contact information for the companies follows. We recommend you contact the service and support department first.

APPOINTMENTS
Post-operative visits are usually scheduled 1-2 weeks following surgery. You will find your future appointments on the Patient Portal at azhear.ema.md. You will automatically be notified of your appointments. You can contact the office via text at 602-307-9919.

The Arizona Hearing Center wants all of your questions to be answered. Please send your questions via the
portal at azhear.ema.md. You can contact the office via text at 602-307-9919.