Micro-Ear Surgery

Explained in simple words

1Micro-ear surgery means surgery done on the ear using a powerful microscope.

2The parts inside the ear are extremely small — some of the bones are the size of a grain of rice.

3The human eye cannot see them clearly, so the surgeon looks through a microscope that magnifies many times.

4This allows the surgeon to work with great accuracy and to save the delicate structures inside the ear.

5The most common operation is repair of a hole in the ear drum. This is called tympanoplasty.

6A hole in the ear drum causes repeated discharge from the ear, and it reduces hearing.

7Many people live with a running ear for years and think nothing can be done. In most cases it can be fully repaired.

8For the repair, the surgeon takes a very thin layer of tissue from just above the ear or in front of it.

9This tissue is placed under the hole, where it takes root and grows into a new ear drum.

10Nothing artificial is left inside. The body accepts its own tissue naturally.

11Another common operation is for the small hearing bones, when they are broken, fixed or eaten away by disease.

12When one of these bones becomes stiff and cannot vibrate, hearing drops steadily. That condition is called otosclerosis.

13For this, an operation called stapedotomy is done, where a tiny piston replaces the stuck bone.

14Many patients notice a clear improvement in hearing within a few weeks of this surgery.

15There is also surgery for chronic ear infection where diseased tissue has to be cleaned out completely, to protect the brain and the facial nerve.

16That kind of infection, if ignored for years, can become dangerous — so it should not be delayed.

17The cut is usually made behind the ear or inside the ear canal, so there is no visible mark on the face.

18Most of these operations are done under local or general anaesthesia and take one to two hours.

19Many patients go home the same day or the next day.

20For the first few weeks you must keep the ear completely dry, avoid blowing the nose hard, and avoid lifting heavy weights.

21Hearing usually improves gradually as the swelling settles, over about six to eight weeks.

22Before surgery we always do a hearing test and examine the ear carefully, so you know exactly what improvement to expect.

23The doctor will explain the operation, the recovery and the expected result to you in your own language before you decide.