Tympanoplasty is reconstructive surgery for the tympanic membrane, or eardrum. There are several options for treating a perforated eardrum. If the perforation is from recent trauma, many ENTs will elect to watch and see if it heals on its own. After that, surgery may be considered. Tympanoplasty can be performed through the ear canal or through an incision behind the ear. The surgeon takes a graft from the tissues under the skin around the ear and uses it to reconstruct the eardrum. One of the most common graft sites is from the tragus. The surgery takes ½ to 1 hour if done through the ear canal and 2⅓ to 3 hours if an incision is needed. It is done under local or general anesthesia. It is done on an outpatient basis and is successful 85-90% of the time.

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tympanoplasty