31-year-old Chhlonh is a farmer who lives with his wife and daughter in Cambodia. When he is not tending to his farm, he enjoys caring for his daughter, listening to the radio, and playing football with his friends.
Chhlonh began having ear discharge and hearing loss from his ears when he was 13 years old. Now, he still experiences recurrent discharge, hearing loss, pain, and ringing in his ears (tinnitus).
Chhlonh traveled two hours with his brother-in-law to reach Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC), where doctors discovered a cholesteatoma in both ears. A cholesteatoma is an abnormal skin growth located behind the eardrum. It initially develops as a cyst after chronic ear infections or perforation of the eardrum. Over time, the cyst sheds layers of old skin that collect within the ear. Without treatment, a cholesteatoma can grow large enough to cause hearing loss, dizziness, or facial paralysis.
Our ear, nose, and throat surgeons will perform a mastoidectomy on Chhlonh’s right ear to remove the cholesteatoma. $809 pays for Chhlonh’s surgery as well as two hearing tests, one night in the hospital, one day of inpatient post-operative care, and three outpatient follow-up visits in the month following surgery.
After the cholesteatoma is removed, Chhlonh’s ear pain and discharge will stop.