Type of Surgery
Information
Last updated: 11/24/2009
When a conventional myringotomy is performed, the ear is washed, a small incision made in the eardrum, the fluid sucked out, a tube inserted, and the ear packed with cotton to control bleeding.
Recent developments include the use of medical acupuncture...
to control pain during the procedure, and the use of carbon dioxide lasers to perform the myringotomy itself. Laser-assisted myringotomy can be performed in a doctor's office with only a local anesthetic. It has several advantages over the older technique: it is less painful; less frightening to children; and minimizes the need for tube insertion because the hole in the eardrum produced by the laser remains open longer than an incision done with a scalpel.
Another technique to keep the incision in the eardrum open without the need for tube insertion is application of a medication called mitomycin C, which was originally developed to treat bladder cancer. The mitomycin prevents the incision from sealing over. As of 2003, however, this approach is still in its experimental stages.
There has also been an effort to design ear tubes that are easier to insert or to remove, and to design tubes that stay in place longer. As of 2003, ear tubes come in various shapes and sizes.
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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
According to the latest data from the National Center for Health Statistics, 878,000 ear surgeries were performed in the United States in 2003.
From: National Center for Health Statistics
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