Tympanoplasty is the surgical procedure performed to repair a perforated tympanic membrane, with/without reconstruction of the ossicles, with the aim of preventing reinfection and restoring hearing ability. Microscopic and endoscopic approaches are utilized for tympanoplasty.
Tympanoplasty is surgery to treat ruptured eardrums. Your eardrum (tympanic membrane) is the tissue separating your ear canal and your middle ear. When you rupture your eardrum, there’s a hole in your eardrum tissue. This hole keeps your eardrum from vibrating, which can affect your hearing.
Many times your surgeon will treat your ruptured eardrum with ear drops or antibiotics. But if your eardrum doesn’t heal after two or three months, you may need tympanoplasty surgery to prevent problems like hearing loss, chronic infections and dizziness.
Surgeon perform tympanoplasty surgery by accessing your eardrum and patching the hole. Studies show tympanoplasty surgery successfully treats ruptured eardrums in 93% of people who have the surgery.
Your eardrum can rupture if:
You have a middle ear infection (otitis media)
You poked your eardrum while cleaning your ear with a cotton swab, bobby pin, pencil or another object
You have ear injuries caused by a loud explosion, a fractured skull or taking a hard hit on the side of your head
You develop barotrauma, a condition that can happen when your eardrum is affected by sudden changes in air pressure.
Yes, tympanoplasty is major surgery because you’re usually given general anesthesia.
Tympanoplasties are completed in steps, starting with obtaining tissue to patch the hole in your eardrum. (Providers may also patch the hole with a piece of synthetic material that integrates with your body.) Here is more information on the specific steps:
Your Surgeon starts by making incisions above or behind your ear or by going through your ear canal
They obtain a small piece of tissue called temporalis fascia to create the graft or patch. Your temporalis fascia is the connective tissue that lines your temporalis muscle, the muscle located on each side of your head near your temples. They may also use cartilage from your tragus (the bump in front of your ear
Next, your Surgeon reaches your eardrum. They lift it to place graft material underneath your eardrum
Your doctor then places foam over your eardrum to hold the graft in place while your eardrum heals. Over time, your eardrum grows new tissue, using the graft material as the foundation.
They’ll close any incisions.
Tympanoplasty repairs your damaged eardrum, reducing the chance you will lose your hearing or have long-term problems with chronic infections. Studies show tympanoplasty is successful in treating 93% of people.