Nancy
My husband had this problem very severley for more than a year. Had numerous attacks which medication did not help him at all. The attacks came and lasted long periods of times and very to the point he could not function an everyday lifestyle. He was told about a surgery which would correct the aggresive attacks an. It is a very serious surgery with side effects, so you need to make sure to have ALL THINGS EXPLAINED regarding the surgery. They have two types of surgery for this so I am not sure which one you are looking into. However, my husband had the one where they cut the crainal nerve just above the ear into the side of your skull. It was a lengthly operation, he was in intensive care and underwent therapy for several days. He does have a permanent hearing loss in his right ear, but can do everything he used to do. It effects your balance and they said he had a risk of not being able to do some things after this surgery. His balance problem is fine he is a sheet metal worker and works on high buildings, and has never had a problem since the surgery with the attcks. His surgery was five years ago this month. His doctor did say he could get this condition back in his other ear at some point. The longer you go without that problem, the lesser your chance of getting a recurrent problem in the opposite ear. He has never had a problem in the entire 5 yrs with either of his ears. He can play golf, swim, run and play basketball. It took him some time to recover fully but he has no side effects from his surgery. This procedure is 95% success rate is what we were told by our doctor, The other operation, is where they put a shunt in to drain the excess fluid from the canals. This procedure is only 40-45 % successful most of the times. Like all operation procedures there is always a risk involved. You should talk to your doctors about it and they should be able to tell you what is best for your condition. There is no doubt he would go thru this procedure again if it ever occurs. We hope you get the best treatment for you, and our prayers are with you and your family. No one knows how terrible you can feel with this and virtually nothing seems to help the attacks. If you have any questions please contact us. God bless you, we will be praying for you!!!!!