Hearing loss due to knee replacement surgery
I am a college graduate, female, 59 years young, resident of Ross County, Ohio. I had a total knee replacement surgery 8/12/13 and am doing well with recovery. However, I discovered immediately after the surgery that I had a severe hearing loss in one ear. I advised all my doctors of this issue. I was advised by one health professional that maybe it will come back as quick as it left - could be positional. My surgeon told me that he did not operate on my ears. I went to an ENT and he said that only an infection, loud noise, or blood clot or tumor would cause my type of hearing loss. I found out later that medications, particularly an antibiotic, may have been one of the "bad guys". In the USA, ototoxic antibiotics damage millions of people’s ears each year, yet few people are aware of just how common this really is. My audiologist says a hearing aid or BAHA implant would assist me. How do we get the word out? I feel if they knew this could have happened, I should have been advised of that risk before surgery. Do I have any legal recourse? A hearing aid is very expensive. The idea of having surgery for the BAHA implant or any kind of surgery is very daunting... now!
