Myringoplasty Surgery
Never miss a beat. Enjoy uninterrupted life with eardrum repair.
As is known, the outer ear consists of the ear canal and the auricle. Deep within the ear canal is the eardrum, which separates the outer and middle ear. When sound waves strike it, the eardrum vibrates. It is a thin structure. The middle ear is a cavity located behind the eardrum and contains air. Air is transported to the ear from the nasopharynx behind the nose through a small canal called the Eustachian tube. The function of this tube, the Eustachian tube, is to equalize the air pressure in the middle ear cavity with the atmospheric pressure of the outside environment. The vibrations created by sound waves are transmitted to the inner ear through small bones in the middle ear cavity, such as the anvil, stirrup, and hammer. In this way, the nerves that transmit sound to the brain are stimulated. What prevents these functions from occurring is a perforation in the eardrum. A perforation in the eardrum causes serious damage to the inner ear region, and this system is disrupted. Myringoplasty is the process of closing the eardrum with tissue.
Why Does the Eardrum Perforate?
Eardrum perforations are generally caused by trauma or infection. For example, a slap to the ear, skull fractures, barotrauma (changes in pressure), hairpins, sudden explosions, damage from cotton swabs or toothpicks, or the entry of harmful fluids into the ear can all cause this perforation. Middle ear infections can cause hearing loss, pain, or spontaneous perforation of the eardrum. In this case, purulent or bloody fluid may leak from the ear. This results in middle ear inflammation accompanied by eardrum perforation. In medical terms, this condition is called "Perforated Otitis Media." In such a case, a hole has formed in the membrane separating the outer ear canal from the middle ear. This can cause tinnitus, buzzing in the ear, hearing loss, facial nerve paralysis, dizziness, and ear discharge.
Fluid that can enter through the perforated eardrum allows microbes to easily multiply in the middle ear. The ear's proximity to other organs is quite important. For example, although it is in close proximity to the brain, the facial nerve also passes through the middle ear. Therefore, even if a perforated eardrum does not cause very severe symptoms, if the necessary intervention is not provided, it can lead to significant problems such as dizziness, facial paralysis, and hearing loss.
Why is Eardrum Perforation Treatment Important?
If a person with a perforated eardrum ignores the condition and tries to live with ear discharge for years, the intervention will focus more on drying up the discharge than on healing the ear. Especially in children, the Eustachian tube between the nasopharynx and the ear is shorter than in adults, so even a minor cold can cause middle ear infection. If the eardrum perforation does not repair itself within an average of 6 weeks, surgical intervention is necessary to repair the eardrum, and a specialist doctor should be consulted immediately.
How is Myringoplasty Surgery Performed?
Myringoplasty is performed in the situations mentioned above. First, the specialist doctor should check over time whether the hole is closing. If the hole is small, a small patch can be applied under supervision. This can be done by applying healing medication to the edges of the hole in the eardrum and covering the eardrum with a thin sheet of paper. After the hole in the eardrum is repaired, an improvement in hearing is generally observed. Several patch applications may be necessary for the hole to close completely. If the hole still does not close despite patch application, the specialist doctor may deem surgical intervention necessary.
Various techniques can be used to repair the eardrum. To promote healing, the hole in the eardrum is closed with tissue. This procedure is called "myringoplasty." A frequently used method is placing tissues called grafts under the eardrum hole. These grafts can be taken from the patient themselves or from others. To ensure the placed eardrum is well-supported, hyaluronic acid fillers are placed in the middle ear. Tympanoplasty surgery can be used to close the hole and improve hearing. In myringoplasty, the eardrum is repaired. In cases of severe hearing loss, ossiculoplasty, which involves repairing the middle ear ossicle chain, may be performed. Additionally, mastoidectomy, a procedure to remove inflammation, can be performed for persistent discharge.
These surgeries are easily performed under general anesthesia. Unless there are unusual complications, the patient stays in the hospital for a maximum of one day and is then discharged.
