I'm a junior in High School and I under went a Chiari Decompression surgery in May 2011. MRI was how the diagnosis was made. I had a lot of symptoms including headaches, dizziness, hearing loss, vision problems, pain in right shoulder, leg pain, racing heart rate and before surgery I began having daily fainting spells. There are more symptoms but doesn't matter to list them all. Following surgery I had no fainting spells for 7 weeks and no headaches. The middle of July I began having fainting spells 1 time a week and this week I have fainted once a day for three days. It has been just 3 months since surgery do I need to be patient or is this what I should expect to deal with for my lifetime? My neurosurgeon seems to act like the fainting spells are not related to the Chiari.

If the fainting spells aren't related to the Chiari, then why did they go away for 7 weeks after the surgery? And if your neurosurgeon says they are not related, then they need to tell you what IS causing them. If they can't answer those questions, then they need to direct you to someone who can...and don't settle for less.

Just my opinion.

Amy B