Myringotomy is a surgical procedure for ear infections with prominent discharge. During the procedure, the tympanic membrane is cut using a knife to release the fluid trapped in the middle-ear in patients with both acute or chronic otitis media with effusion (OME).
OME is the collection of non-infected fluid in the middle ear canal as a result of a cold, sore throat, or upper respiratory infection. It can be classified as serous, mucoid or purulent – based on the type of discharge. Usually it is very self-limiting, i.e., it resolves itself within 4-6 weeks without surgical intervention.
In some cases, the infection is too severe to be drained at once and has to be drained in stages. In such cases, an ear tube is inserted through the tympanic membrane through a procedure called tympanostomy.
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Pristyn care is one of the best and largest surgery care providers in India. It has tie-ups with some of the best ENT hospitals all over India to help provide advanced ear, nose, and throat treatment to all its patients at affordable prices. Additionally, Pristyn Care has a team of expert ENT specialists who perform advanced ear surgeries like tympanoplasty, myringotomy, tympanostomy, etc., without any complications or hearing loss for the patient.
Pristyn Care also provides other auxiliary services to the patient, such as complete insurance and hospital documentation support, easy payment plans like no-cost EMI, etc. It also provides cab facility to the patient for pick up and drop off from the hospital on the day of surgery and complimentary meals during hospitalization.
If you are suffering from OME, then you should consult an expert ENT specialist to ensure you get proper treatment right away. Some signs you might have OME are hearing difficulty, tugging or pulling sensation, loss of balance, delayed speech development, ear pain, etc.
During the physical examination, the ENT doctor will review your medical history to ascertain the cause of the ear infection. Following this, the doctor will inspect the ear canal using an otoscope. The otoscope has an attached light and camera to help view the inner portion of the ear canal. In some cases, the surgeon may use a pneumatic otoscope, which helps check the movement of the eardrum to find out if the middle ear has fluid trapped inside.
In addition to this, the surgeon may order some hearing tests like audiometry, tympanogram, tuning fork test, tympanometry, etc., to determine the severity of the patient’s hearing problem. Based on the results of these tests, the ENT doctor will plan out the treatment.
Mild cases of OME are treated through monitoring and medications, however, self-medication is not recommended, as antihistamines, antibiotics, and decongestants are generally ineffective for otitis media.
If the condition persists for more than 2-3 months, then the patient can end up with permanent hearing and speech development (in children) disabilities, so prompt treatment through surgery is necessary. Surgical treatment of OME is performed through myringotomy and tympanostomy. The entire procedure takes about 15-20 minutes.
The surgery is generally performed under general anesthesia. During myringotomy, the ENT surgeon creates a tiny incision (3-5 mm in length) to drain the ear canal. If a ventilation tube (during tympanostomy) is to be inserted, then simultaneously a 3/5/7 mm tube is inserted, as needed.
After the surgery is done, the ear canal is packed with gauze and left to heal. The tympanic membrane heals on its own without need for stitches, and if a tube is inserted it falls out on its own within a few months.
Myringotomy isn’t a very complicated surgery, but you should prepare for it thoroughly in order to avoid any complications. Some common preoperative instructions provided before myringotomy surgery are:
After the surgery, the patient will have a clogged feeling in the ear. It is very normal and generally resolves within a few days. A little pain and discomfort are normal after the surgery, but they can be managed through over-the-counter pain relievers.
Normally, without any complications, complete healing after a myringotomy takes about 4 weeks. However the healing doesn’t improve immediately after the surgery. You will notice some improvement in your hearing over the next few days. If you have ear tubes, then they will fall out on their own within 6-12 months.
The eardrum will heal itself within a few days after the tubes fall out, but there might be a little scarring. In addition to this, you should follow all the instructions given by your surgeon and follow-up with your surgeon accordingly.
After myringotomy surgery, you should follow the given tips to improve your recovery:
Myringotomy is performed for patients with fluid trapped in the middle ear canal. The most common condition for ear fluid is due to otitis media with effusion. When fluid is trapped in the middle ear, it interferes with the function of the eustachian tube and leads to balance issues.
Some ear issues myringotomy is necessary for are:
Both myringotomy and tympanostomy are more common in children compared to adults, as ear infections are more common at that age.
While entirely safe, even myringotomy can result in some complications if performed incorrectly or if the patient doesn’t take proper care after the surgery:
Contact your surgeon immediately if you notice any signs of infection so they can manage them and prevent permanent hearing loss to the patient.
You can get back to work/school within 1-2 days of the surgery. As long as you follow your surgeon’s instructions and take your medicines on time, you will notice significant improvement in your hearing within a week and recover completely within 3-4 weeks.
Yes, while general anesthesia is preferred for kids, myringotomy surgery for adults can be performed under local anesthesia, provided the surgeon can count on them to stay still during the surgery.
There are 4 main types of ventilation tubes used during a tympanostomy – Long Armstrong tubes, Donaldson tubes, Shepard tubes and straight tubes, based on shape. The type of tube used during the surgery depends on the severity of the condition, the length of the patient’s ear canal, the amount of time the tube is expected to stay in the ear canal, etc. Ear tubes are usually made of silicone, plastic, or metal.
Yes, nowadays myringotomy surgery using a CO2 laser is quite common, however, even though the surgery is generally considered safer, there is no proof that it provides a better outcome than a traditional myringotomy. In fact, if the patient needs a tympanostomy tube, traditional myringotomy is considered better than laser surgery.
BM-T stands for bilateral myringotomy and tubes. It is a surgery in which a small opening is made in each eardrum and a small tube is placed in the opening. It is generally performed in children with severe infection in both ears.
While ear tubes are very effective, sometimes they do not prevent ear infections, or even lead to further infections. Sometimes holes can even lead to permanent scarring or hole in the eardrum that can lead to further loss of hearing.
Myringotomy helps release the fluid trapped in the ear canal to ease the patient’s symptoms. The fluid can be water, blood or pus, depending on the cause of the issue. Other benefits of myringotomy are:
Radhika Garg
Treatment: Myringotomy
Radhika Garg recommended our service
I was a little apprehensive about getting surgery at Pristyn Care, but all the staff was very polite and helpful. They made sure I was okay at all times during my treatment journey.
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