Post-Mastoidectomy: Is Persistent Hearing Loss Normal?Mastoidectomy
3 months ago
I underwent mastoidectomy three months ago for chronic ear infection. Although the discharge has stopped, my hearing feels weaker than before and sometimes I experience a buzzing sound inside the ear. I was expecting things to improve after surgery. Is it normal to have such issues during recovery, or should I be worried that my hearing will never return to normal?
Answers (1)
After mastoidectomy, it is not unusual to experience changes in hearing or noises like buzzing and ringing, especially in the early stages of recovery. The surgery removes diseased bone and tissue, which sometimes involves working close to the tiny hearing bones in the middle ear. In some cases, the disease itself may have already caused damage to these structures even before surgery. Hearing recovery depends on how much damage existed before and whether a reconstruction was done during the operation. Many patients gradually notice improvement over time, although in some, the hearing remains weaker than expected. The buzzing you describe, known as tinnitus, is often temporary and improves as healing progresses, but it is important to follow up regularly with your ENT so they can monitor your ear and guide whether further treatment or hearing rehabilitation may be helpful.
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