For years, Tina Henry experienced unexplained dizziness and other symptoms that went undiagnosed despite multiple medical consultations and tests. At 21, she struggled with balance issues and unusual auditory sensations. It wasn’t until she met P. Ashley Wackym, a surgical otologist-neurotologist at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, that she received a diagnosis of cochlea-facial nerve dehiscence, a form of third window syndrome.
Wackym explained that the condition involves an additional hole in the inner ear, disrupting pressure balance and causing various symptoms. He employed a specialized surgical technique to address the issue by reinforcing one of the natural holes in each ear.
Henry expressed immense relief upon receiving her diagnosis. “I was so happy that someone was finally telling me what was wrong,” she said. She also shared her desire to become a mother and named her son Dawson Phillip Henry after Wackym, whose first name is Phillip.
Wackym admitted he was surprised when he learned Henry named her child after him but found it humbling and touching. Now, he aims to assist Henry’s son, born with Pallister-Killian mosaic syndrome and severe hearing impairment, by performing cochlear implant surgery—a procedure he has completed over 1,000 times.
The medical community remains largely unfamiliar with third window syndrome as it was only identified in 2014. The disorder can arise from various causes and presents diagnostic challenges due to its potential occurrence in multiple areas of the inner ear.
Wackym encourages patients to inform previous doctors about their eventual diagnosis to enhance awareness within the medical field. “We expect doctors to know everything, but they don’t,” he stated. “The best way to get out the information is if patients write the doctors that they saw a note thanking them for taking care [of] them and letting the doctors know what the problem was and how it was fixed.”
