The day the ‘whooshing’ stopped: World-first trial at The Ottawa Hospital brings relief from pulsatile tinnitus

For four and a half years, Kayleigh Baldock’s life was consumed by a relentless, pounding “whooshing” sound in one ear accompanied by frequent migraine headaches. 

The 27-year-old woman from Ottawa, Canada, suffered from pulsatile tinnitus, a debilitating disease that occurs when a vein next to the inner ear narrows and restricts blood flow. 

On January 23, 2026, she finally found peace after undergoing an innovative procedure at The Ottawa Hospital that involved inserting a stent into the narrowed vein near her ear. The treatment was part of the first clinical trial in the world of a stent specifically designed to treat pulsatile tinnitus. 

“After being consumed by this relentless whooshing sound in my ear for years, I now live in a quiet world,” says Baldock. “Sleeping is no longer a struggle — it is peaceful. My days are no longer defined by constant migraines. I can be present in my life again. This outcome once felt unimaginable.”

First stent designed to treat pulsatile tinnitus

The procedure was performed by Dr. Robert Fahed, an interventional neuroradiologist, stroke neurologist and associate scientist at The Ottawa Hospital and associate professor at the University of Ottawa. Dr. Fahed leads one of the only pulsatile tinnitus clinics in Canada. He was approached by a California-based company, VS3 Medical Inc., to test a novel stent (a tiny, expandable tube) designed to open up narrowed veins in people with pulsatile tinnitus and restore proper blood flow. 

“We have now treated four patients in this clinical trial, all with complete success,” says Dr. Fahed. “Their symptoms stopped immediately and they remain symptom-free. Or course, we will continue to monitor these patients, but the initial results are extremely promising.”

Dr. Rajiv Hira, a clinical fellow working with Dr. Fahed, presented the initial results at a scientific summit organized by the Society of NeuroInterventional Surgery in Colorado on March 6, 2026.

The doctors noted that this specially designed stent was very easy to use in patients with pulsatile tinnitus, requiring less than 10 minutes to insert. Currently, doctors treat pulsatile tinnitus using stents or other devices designed for other conditions, but these devices may be more difficult to insert, as they are not optimized for pulsatile tinnitus. 

Baldock was the third patient to enroll in this world-first clinical trial. The first patient was enrolled at The Ottawa Hospital in late 2025. 

Clinical trials provide new treatment options and hope

This study is just one of more than 800 active clinical trials at The Ottawa Hospital. 

“Clinical trials provide patients with new treatment options and they also provide hope,” said Dr. Rebecca Auer, Executive Vice-President of Research and Innovation at The Ottawa Hospital and CEO and Scientific Director of the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute. “At The Ottawa Hospital, we believe that research is care and this study illustrates why.” 
 

The Ottawa Hospital (TOH) is one of Canada’s top learning and research hospitals where we are guided by our vision to provide the world-class and compassionate care we would all want for our loved ones. Our multi-campus hospital, affiliated with the University of Ottawa, is home to the Regional Trauma Centre and Cancer Centre, and to discoveries that are adopted globally. Backed by generous support from the community, we are focused on reshaping the future of health care to improve the health of our diverse population of patients from Eastern Ontario, Western Quebec, and Nunavut.