I reckon most of us who have grown up surfing etc will need this surgery at some time so let us know what you learn.

hey if anyone ever suggests "surgery from behind" to me , I'll say no, way thru the ear thanks

Up to several months to heal after surgery...**** that.
Several months without surfing...I'd rather die.

Had one ear done, thru the canal but slit down between the lobe and the temple for easy access. FKN hurts was sore for weeks, but that kinda makes sense when you consider you've got some pratt chiselling out the inside of your head.
My left is now blocked 95+% and they're telling me to get that done too. For interests sake get a hearing test done and suss the difference between your "good" and "bad" ear.
At present there's only 3-5% diff between mine so farked if I'm gonna get the other done until I'm stone deaf.

I have been rather paranoid about my ears for a month or so now . At first my ears were blocked from gunk , but now clear . I still cant hear properly though through my right . After every surf I am 90% deaf for 2 days afterwards in the right . I have been surfing for 22 years almost every week .

Question - what are the initial symptoms that you guys got apart from hearing loss???

I am into my 4th week after surgery to my left ear. The surgeon came in from behind and from all accounts has done a good job. I can get my ear wet next week for the first time. Two of my friends have had there ears drilled out through the canal and both have had to have the surgery again. One had the second op from behind and his ear is fine now and surfing like crazy.
My scarring is going down very quick and because its behind the ear, it will not be visible anyway.
The recovery from both surgeries is about the same time. By going in from behind, they can save more skin and apparently that means the chance of less infection.
I was in hospital overnight and back to work a few days later, albeit with a slightly swollen ear.
I'll be back in the water in another 5 weeks though as I'm now having to use Efudix to remove the sun damage on my face from 35 years of surfing. After a while they can't keep burning the keratoses off the forehead and cheeks, so now its the cream to remove it all.
All in time for my trip to Bali for my 50th.

Thanks for all the replys, from what I can gather it seems like if the blockage is pretty bad, like maybe 95% (like mine) then they seem to go in from behind the ear, but if it is less then they go thru the ear. Can anyone clarify this?

I am not totally sure on this but it seems to make sense. I am off to France in September so I guess I should get it done ASAP so I have time to recover and get fully surf fit. My ENT guy has good reviews, and can fit me in early June. The only problem is I don't know anyone who has used him for this op.

Hopefully I can clarify why some are thru the ear and some behind. I will try and contact my ENT again before the op.

Any more info would be appreciated, Thanks.