Ear pain and hearing loss can be very disruptive to your lifestyle. If you have an ear infection or damage to the tympanic membrane that separates the middle ear from the inner ear, your ruptured eardrum may need surgical repair.
What Is a Ruptured Eardrum?
The tympanic membrane is deep in the ear canal and vibrates when sound hits it, transferring that energy to the inner ear and allowing us to hear. When we get an ear infection, this membrane can rupture to allow the fluid out of the ear. It can also rupture because of a cotton swab pushed too far into the ear or even unusually loud noises. Patients may have hearing loss, dizziness, or spreading infection due to the perforation in the eardrum. A ruptured eardrum will often heal, but in some cases, surgery is needed to repair the membrane.
How Is a Tympanoplasty or Myringoplasty Performed?
Both tympanoplasty and myringoplasty are operations to repair the perforation in the eardrum. During a tympanoplasty, your surgeon will use tissue and cartilage to repair the rupture. They may take a small amount of facia from behind the ear or cartilage from the ear and graft the material to the membrane. A myringoplasty is a shorter procedure, and your ENT will use a paper or gelatin patch to close the tear in the eardrum. Over time, the eardrum will grow back naturally.
What Should I Expect After the Surgery?
After surgery, you will likely have some soreness and possibly some bloody discharge from the ear and the incision. Your surgeon will review detailed instructions for aftercare to ensure a proper recovery. You may also experience some fullness in the ear for 1-2 weeks as the packing material dissolves. Your hearing will slowly restore as the eardrum heals, and you may have a hearing test after 8-12 weeks.
If you would like more information about a ruptured eardrum, speak with your doctor.
Call Surgery Center of Bluffton at (843) 766-7103 for more information or to schedule an appointment.