Ear surgery is performed to treat diseases, injuries and deformations of the ear. There are many types of ear surgeries because there are many problems that can affect the ear.
Common ear surgeries include stapedotomy to treat hearing loss, myringoplasty or tympanoplasty to reconstruct damaged eardrums, mastoidectomy to eliminate disease or infection, ear tube surgery, cochlear implant surgery, tumor removal, and surgery for congenital ear defects. Laser surgery for the middle ear is becoming increasingly popular because it reduces the amount of trauma to the ear.
Ear Tubes
Ear tubes are a common treatment for chronic or recurrent ear infections, which are most prevalent in young children, but also occur in teens and adults. Ear tubes are small cylinders that are surgically implanted within the eardrums to allow air and fluid to flow to and from the middle ear. Ear tubes can either be a short term treatment (six months to a year) that fall out on their own or a long-term treatment that requires removal at the doctor’s discretion.
Otoplasty
Otoplasty is a plastic surgery procedure that corrects deformities and defects of the external ear. Sometimes this involves reconstructing defective, or even absent, features of the ear due to birth defects or trauma. Another version is correction of protruding ears for cosmetic purposes. For more information, visit www.ozarkfacialplastics.com.
Perforated Eardrum
A perforated eardrum, sometimes called a ruptured eardrum, may happen when the thin membrane between the ear canal and the middle ear is punctured by a foreign object or blown out by a loud noise. It can also be caused by infection or head trauma. A perforated eardrum can be very painful and may cause hearing loss. If the perforation is very small, it can heal on its own over time. However, a patch or even surgery may be required to reclose a severely perforated eardrum.
Stapedotomy
A stapedotomy is a surgery of the stapes bone in the middle ear. The stapes bone can become stuck and therefore not transfer sound waves traveling toward the inner ear, which results in hearing loss. The purpose of the surgery is to bypass the top of the stapes bone and allow sound waves to travel all the way to the inner ear.