Ear Surgeries

In the last decade, there has been an increase in the use of endoscopes in ear surgeries, not just as an adjunct method, but exclusively.
Endoscope provides a wider panoramic view thereby allowing for a better access to deeper and narrower spaces in the ear.
The use of endoscope has made ear surgeries minimally invasive resulting in early and speedy recovery.

It is a cosmetic surgery of ear lobe and indicated for an elongated hole of the ear lobe or a split/torn ear lobe.
Patient with defect following trauma or use of heavy ear jewelry are the most suitable candidate for this procedure.
It is often done on an outpatient/clinic basis with local numbing of the ear lobe (local anesthesia) and generally takes around 30-45 minutes.
This procedure is simple and yields good result.

It is a surgical procedure of ear drum where a small incision is made in the drum to relieve excess pressure and discomfort caused by accumulation of fluid/pus in the middle ear cavity.
A small tube is sometimes inserted which allows adequate aeration of middle ear and prevents re-collection of fluid. The tube gets self extruded in 6-12 months or is removed by the ENT surgeon during a secondary minor procedure.
Without insertion of the tube, the incision heals itself within 3-4 weeks.

Repeated middle ear infections or trauma can result in a perforation of the ear drum.
Tympanoplasty involves surgical repair of perforated ear drum with or without reconstruction of middle ear bones (ossiculoplasty).
It can be performed using an endoscope or microscope.
With the advent of endoscopes it is now possible to do a scarless tympanoplasty.

Ossiculoplasty involves reconstruction of the ossicular chain (Malleus, Incus & Stapes) with an aim to improve hearing.
Indications for this surgery are patients with decreased hearing as a result of pathology in the ossicular chain (discontinuity, fixation, trauma, infection or prior surgical attempt).
Various materials are used for reconstruction, and can either be a biological tissues (bone or cartilage) from the same person or an prosthetic material (Titanium, Teflon etc).

Mastoid bone is a part of skull and is situated behind the ear. It consists of air cells with a “honeycomb” appearance.
Mastoidectomy involves eradication of the disease in the mastoid air cells and also the middle ear (extension of the disease).
The goal of the surgery is to make the ear safe from complications by clearing the disease.

Otosclerosis is a hearing disorder that causes impaired hearing as a result of fixation of the stapes bone due to deposition of abnormal bone. Stapedotomy involves removal of part of the fixed stapes bone and replacing it with a prosthesis to restore the sound conduction mechanism.
It is more prevalent in women during the child bearing age and gets aggravated during pregnancy.

Facial nerve is a vital nerve with multitude of functions including facial expression, taste sensation of tongue, tearing of eyes and salivation in mouth.
Lower facial nerve can be compressed during trauma, infection or following surgeries around/ in the ear.
Such situation requires an immediate intervention by an experienced ENT surgeon and earliest surgical decompression of the nerve to prevent irreversible nerve damage.