After Ear Surgery

Patient information on tympanoplasty, ossiculoplasty, and mastoid surgery

 

 

After Ear Surgery: What's Normal and What's Not

 

 

Normal	Abnormal
Pain: A dull headache or ear ache is normal. Drainage (pink or red) is normal from the ear canal Low grade fever is normal for a day or two Hearing may be dull because of middle ear packing. This packing should dissolve by itself over the next four weeks -- you may hear crackling noises as this dissolves. The final hearing result may take 6 months to achieve..	Severe pain not controlled by pain medication Persistent bright red bleeding. Fever greater than 101.5° Fahrenheit Severe dizziness; severe nausea and vomiting. Headache, neck stiffness, sensitivity to light.   If any of the above occurs, please call the office at 561-748-4445

 

 

Directions for after surgery

 

	Keep your head elevated and sleep on your back or on side with operated ear up if possible.
	Get lots of rest.  Plan on staying out of work or school for about 1 week.
	Keep ears dry!  Change the cotton ball mixed with Bacitracin ointment once or twice a day.  Its purpose is to catch the drainage and prevent water entry.  Water from the shower, bath or pool may carry unwanted bacteria to your wound.
	Take your antibiotic and pain medicine as directed.  The antibiotic is usually Keflex or Erythromycin, 250 mg. 4 times a day to prevent infection from setting in the packing.  Plain Tylenol is usually enough to control the pain from most ear procedures, however, the prescription pain medicine may be used every 3-4 hours as needed. Note that the medications can cause allergic reactions, nausea, dizziness, falls and impair judgement.  Please do not drive.  Avoid aspirin or Advil as this may promote bleeding. Apply ointment to wound  twice a day.
	Avoid placing pressure on the eardrum.  Excessive pressure within the ear may displace the fresh graft and disrupt the delicate structures of the middle ear.  Avoid the following:
	Do not blow your nose if possible.  If you must sneeze, please sneeze with your mouth open.
	No straining or heaving lifting (>10 pounds) for 2 - 3 weeks.  (If you are straining with bowel movements, try Metamucil or some sort of laxative.)
	Do not fly until the doctor gives you the okay. (Usually 3 weeks after surgery)
	Do not rub or touch your ear.

 

 

Stapedectomy & Fistula repair:  Please stay at bed rest as much as possible during the first week after surgery.  Be particularly careful about straining and heavy lifting.  There is a fresh seal on the opening to the inner ear fluids.  Leakage of these fluids may cause sudden hearing loss, ringing ears and vertigo.  Sutures can dissolve on its own.  Packing also dissolves on its own.  You may remove the dressing one day after surgery.  Follow-up in the office 1 week and again in 3-4 weeks for gentle removal of residual packing.  Plan on an audiogram sometime after 4 or more weeks.  Hearing usually continues to improve for many months.

 

Tympanoplasty and/or Mastoidectomy:  Sutures and packing dissolve on its own.  You may remove the dressing one day after surgery.  Follow-up in the office 1 week and again in 3-4 weeks for gentle removal of residual packing.  Plan on an audiogram sometime after 4 or more weeks.  Hearing generally continues to improve for many months.

 

Mastoidectomy with open cavity:  Sutures can dissolve on its own.  Packing does not. You may remove the dressing one day after surgery.   Follow-up in 10 days for removal of canal packing. The packing removal is uncomfortable but usually not painful.  If you can obtain a ride to the office, you may consider taking 1 or 2 tablets of you prescription pain reliever 30 minutes prior to seeing the doctor.  A small amount of bleeding is expected and is not cause for alarm.  If not allergic, place 6 drops of Cortisporin in the ear three times a day for the next two weeks till the next visit.  The third visit is for more cleaning.  After this visit you will need to change ear drops to Dombaro (50% mixture of Rubbing alcohol and Vinegar) solution, 6 drops in the ear three times a day for two more weeks. Plan on an audiogram sometime after 6 or more weeks.