I might have lost a little hearing, or the noises seemed "dumbed down" or " slightly muted" but it's worth the trade off. Hi pitched sounds, sharp noises, loud place don't really bother me anymore. After I leave a loud bar or restaurant, my ear feels slightly "numb" or "plugged", but it is a huge improvement from what I had to deal with before.
I haven't worn my ear plugs since the surgery in loud places and it feels great! Last night I sat front row and about 15 feet from a speaker of a quartet playing violins that were plugged in and it was comfortable sitting there and I have very little discomfort today, which would have never been the case before my surgery.
Please tell Dr. Silverstein and his staff the he literally gave me my social life back and has changed my life in ways I can't begin to describe!