Losing hearing in one or both ears is life-changing, and many patients who suffer from the condition believe there is no hope for treatment. A good example is the case of Ms N.C., 43 years old, from Tien Giang province. In April 2019, Ms N.C. came to FV Hospital as she was suffering from issues with her ability to hear in the right ear, as well as tinnitus, which had been affecting her for over 4 years. Her condition gradually became worse and worse, and began affecting her quality of life, making her unconfident when communicating. She shared that she also had otitis, inflammation in the ear, which encouraged her to seek medical help. Ms N.C. feared that she would lose her hearing in the right ear forever. Luckily though, she was introduced to Dr Bernard Colin. Dr Colin administered an audiometry which showed the reason Ms N.C. was suffering from conductive hearing loss and otosclerosis in the right ear was because the stapes, a small bone behind the eardrum, was stuck.

Dr Colin performed an endoscopic surgery technique inside the ear under a microscope to replace the stuck bone into the Teflon tube to help Ms N.C. regain her hearing. The surgery was done successfully within just 60 minutes, and Ms N.C. went home the day after the operation without any complications. After the surgery, Ms N.C. said she could hear more clearly and the tinnitus and hearing loss did not affect her anymore. Now, Ms N.C. can communicate confidently and her quality of life has been improved significantly.

According to Dr Bernard Colin, otosclerosis, a genetic ear problem, can be completely treated. Currently, the most effective treatment is to perform surgery to replace the stapes, and Dr Colin has performed this difficult technique with huge success. The condition is caused by stiffness of the ossicular chain, mainly in the stapes. It progresses very slowly, and its most common symptoms are tinnitus and hearing loss, beginning in one ear and gradually spreading to both ears. In cases of ear problems, underlying risks can lead to hearing loss and even complete deafness. However, if the problem is detected early and treated quickly, the rate of hearing improvement can be up to 90 per cent. Therefore, it is strongly recommended that patients should consult a doctor immediately when they notice symptoms of hearing loss in one ear or even both ears. “If you have a surgery when the ears have severe deafness, the treatment will be more difficult and the result will be restricted”, Dr Bernard Colin advised.

To schedule an appointment with Dr Bernard Colin, please call (028) 54 11 33 41 or (028) 54 11 33 33, ext. 7711.