Type of Surgery
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Last updated: 11/24/2009
The use of antimicrobial drops is controversial. Water should be kept out of the ear canal until the eardrum is intact. A doctor should be notified if the tubes fall out.
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It is not uncommon for fluid to accumulate behind the eardrum (tympanic membrane). In this animation, we see the surgery used to open the tympanic membrane (myringotomy) and the placement of a drainage tube. This procedure is known colloquially as a patient "getting tubes in his ears."
During a myringotomy, an incision is made into the ear drum, or tympanic membrane (B). The fluid in the ear canal is suctioned out (C), and a small tube is put in place to allow future drainage in the event of an infection (D). (Illustration by GGS Inc.)
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Other Information
Myringotomy is a surgical procedure in which a small incision is made in the eardrum (the tympanic membrane), usually in both ears. The word comes from myringa, modern Latin for drum membrane, and tomē, Greek for cutting. It is also called myringocentesis, tympanotomy, tympanostomy, or paracentesis of the tympanic membrane. Fluid in the middle ear can be sucked out through the incision.
Ear tubes, or tympanostomy tubes, are small tubes, open at both ends, that are inserted into the incisions in the eardrums during myringotomy. They come in various shapes and sizes and are made of plastic, metal, or both. They are left in place until they fall out by themselves or until they are removed by a doctor.
Other Information
Mastoidectomy is done to make the ear safe, since infection in the skull may be dangerous and can cause infection in and around the brain. With this procedure we hope to make the ear dry and possibly improve the hearing.
-P H Jones
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