It’s a quote-post today, folks. Here’s me, writing about my Tympanoplasty (a surgery I went for in February, 2008), back in August:
At this juncture, I’m renaming the category of the blog that tells this story of my life from “ear surgery” to “tympanoplasty”. Hopefully, that’ll make it easier for Googlers to find my experience.
Looks like it worked. I got this question today via email, and with the permission of the person who sent it in, I’m reposting it, hoping that someone with the same concern in the future will feel better reading it.
Googler wrote:
Hey Richard,
I randomly came across your blog while I was looking for information about tympanoplasty online recently. I underwent tympanoplasty on my left eardrum 3 weeks ago. The size of my perforation was moderate, but was located in an accessible region of my eardrum and hadn’t caused too much hearing loss in my ear. It also happened fairly recently (in March) so I hadn’t lived with it long, but I knew I wanted to take care of it as soon as possible for reasons I’m sure you know of.
I have been a little stressed out lately, as my ear is still plugged from the surgery and everything is very muffled. My doctor swears that there is a lot of packing left to dissolve but for some reason I am worried. My ENT used the gelfoam dissolvable packing, therefore he will not be removing it manually. He also went through my ear to repair the hole therefore I only have a small incision from where they took the graft.
My hearing is much worse than before the surgery and it’s so annoying having an ear that feels completely plugged and muffles sound. I especially hate being in loud environments because I can hardly hear anything due to the muffling in the left ear.
I guess my question for you is, how long did it take for you to hear better again after the operation? I suppose your situation is a little different than mine since you had more hearing loss, but I am wondering when I am going to start getting my hearing back. My doctor says it can take 6 weeks to dissolve, but I am really stressing out about it.
There isn’t much chance of the surgery making the hearing worse that you know of is there? Anyways, I suppose I e-mailed you for a little piece of mind, to talk to someone who’s been through it.
Thanks!
Here’s my response:
Hey Googler!
It took me about four months to fully recover my hearing. At the beginning, I suffered immense discomfort, not only from the sore ear drum, but from the muffled sound, especially in loud environments, like you said. Only being able to hear from one ear threw off my sense of direction and placement in the world. I went through periods of intense worrying – “Will I ever hear again?” – because it took much longer than I thought it would to recover the sound. I’d wake up every morning, hoping that maybe I could snap my fingers and hear something today.
At first, I didn’t believe my surgeon when he told me that I had packing in my ear, still, after some time (two or three months). However, after more and more visits of him removing packing from my ear drum, and me taking drops in my ear to dissolve the packing, it got better.
I can’t assure you fully that everything is going to be okay – no one could assure me of that three weeks after my operation. I remember the fear I had; nothing could quell it. What I can tell you is to give it some time, and from my experience, you’re doing well.
I wish you the best of luck, and please keep in touch to let me know how you do. I’m glad you chose to email me. I put the information about my surgery online so that it could one day help someone, and it looks like it finally is.
Take care.
And finally, here response:
Thank you so much for replying so quickly! I feel like everything you said I have thought and felt these past few weeks.
You really helped my spirits! It is stressful bc I was not informed beforehand that it could take so long to get my hearing back.
Your blog was worth it!
Thanks a lot.
Googler
Again, I hope posting this here helps someone in the future. As always, feel free to email me any questions you have (about anything, really).
Hi Richard,
I was looking for a picture of someone with their bandages from post op… and I found yours! As a child I underwent 4 of the surgeries in 1996, ’97, ’99 and 2000. Obviously the first 3 didn’t work. I have one picture of me in my bandages, which ended up being my 5th grade picture in the yearbook.
Anyhow, it took what seemed like forever for the foam packaging in my ear to dissolve, and after, the doctor had to remove a big nasy clump of the packaging, dried blood and earwax. Maybe it’s because I was little, but I spent about a month indoors after surgery. Even after that I wasn’t allowed to swim without a dorky cap on for a year.
Every surgery I had was a different experience. The healing was different, and over the years the bandage style changed into the “ear helmet” thing. Because I’ve had 4 surgeries I’ve lost more hearing than the average tympanoplasty recipient. Pressure and bass tones still give me an ear ache now and then, and it has been 9 years since my last surgery.
Let people who ask you questions know that this surgery is different for everybody but generally if the fasha behind your ear is mature enough the surgery will hold. You’ll undoubtedly have ear aches, headaches and sharp pains now and then but the most important thing is to relax and recover before you get back to your life.
Thanks,
Janet
Dear Richard,
Thank you for your descriptive and honest blog. I wish I had googled this topic earlier, I am about to undergo my third tympanoplasty. I got my ear wet after the first operation, and blew my nose after the second. My surgeons never really emphasized how fragile the graft really is, they just kept telling me about high percentage rates of success. Although I have not been the best patient in the past, I am going into this third surgery ready for hybernation. I plan on locking myself up for 8 weeks: no work, no showers, no physical activity, no blowing my nose and no sneezing. I hate to resort to this extreme form of rehab, but am desperate. How did your rehab compare? How did you take care of things like hygiene, congestion, and the constant idleness? Any advice is appreciated.
Yet another holy eared one,
Adam
Janet – Thank you so much for bringing that perspective to me. I appreciate it a lot – the idea that everyone is different is often lost when people are searching for answers.
Adam J. – You’re very welcome. I’m glad to see that you’ve come across my blog, and I hope my posts and their comments can help you!
My pain sounds like it was nowhere near as extreme as yours. It gets harder and harder for me to recall the details of my recovery, so I recommend that you re-read all of my posts. Everything that I could ever recall about healing is written on this blog. I wish you luck! Please keep in touch.
http://www.richardmondello.com/category/tympanoplasty/
Do you ever get pain in your ear still?
Only when stuff is loudddd! When I go to a concert, I have to muffle sound with a small piece of tissue in the ear.
Other than that, I don’t get pain.
Hey Richard,
I was the one who couldn’t stop sneezing and kept blowing off my graft. I saw my doctor last week and it turns out my ear miraculously healed on its own. Unfortunately the tympanic membrane is in the wrong place (it is not touching the stapes) and I am still hard of hearing in the left ear. It is nice to take a shower and go swimming without any cotton-balls and vasoline though. I will see the doctor in 4 months and he will decide whether or not I need another surgery. He told me that sometimes the ear makes multiple ear drums, and I might have an ear drum in the right place behind this ear drum. We will see in 4 months, its an in-house procedure where they tear open the ear drum to see if their is a surprise behind it. I sure hope there is something there. A third surgery would be a real pain. Hope all is well.
Adam J.
Adam,
It’s great to hear from you again! That’s a very interesting circumstance, and one with both good and bad news. I hope that when you see your doctor again in four months, he will be able to help you recover some hearing. The fact that your ear has healed but the membrane was in the wrong place is odd, and one of those “huh?” moments in life.
I’m very interested in hearing about that in-house procedure, if you end up having it. I wish you luck coping until you’re able to see him again.
Dear Richard:
Thanks for this incredibly helpful blog! My 9 year-old son (adopted from Russia) has two perforated eardrums, and is undergoing surgery with the very same Dr. Meiteles tomorrow morning (right ear) at 6 am.
I suspect he got the perforations from infections at the orphanage, and has been getting recurrent infections (about 6-7 per year) since he has been in the US (roughly 3.5 years). As a result, he really needs this to protect him from further hearing loss, and your roadmap to recovery is very helpful for his mom and me.
My concerns are for preparing a little boy for the surgery and recovery, and eliciting his cooperation in keeping mobility to a minimum. In addition, he loves to go swimming, and being summer, this will be hard to live without. So I envision difficulty for us in keeping him calm and sneeze-free. We have him daily on Claritin, but colds may be difficult to avoid.
We have given him little info until now, since most of it is scary and he would be terrified mulling over it, and might even have nightmares abot it. We are planning to give him an upbeat but matter of fact discussion about what to expect tomorrow, but we want him to remain as positive as possible. We will incorporate your observations of the healing process and mileposts to success to tell him what he should expect.
If you have any wisdom for us to share with a small boy about to undertake this big step, I would be happy to hear it. But at any rate, your posts have been helpful to us, and they give us hope our outcome with Dr. Meiteles will be as good as yours.
I wish you continued good fortune and success at Tufts, and thank you for this blog.
I’m glad my “roadmap to recovery” has been helpful for you! Thank you for all of your kind words. I truly appreciate them; they keep me going.
I feel terrible that I haven’t gotten to reply to your comment until just now. At this point in time, your son has already had his procedure. I hope everything went well!
Your question of any additional wisdom has brought up a memory of my surgery that I don’t think I’ve shared before. Two weeks before my surgery, I purchased myself an iPod touch to entertain myself while laying in bed. Obviously, as you can see from my blog and social network activities, I’m quite busy online. The iPod’s web browser helped me get through that boredom of taking it easy.
If your 9-year old son likes to read, get him some books. If he enjoys comic books, get him some of them. If a particular TV show is his thing, I’d get him a DVD of that show! Something to pass the time is so helpful.
Hi everyone,
My first night out in 2/1/2 weeks since my surgery. Went to a bar with my friends. After two hours max is a much as I could take noise was very muffled. Felt fine, but wondering how do you handle loud enviroments? or is this just part of it? no more bars or concerts? How do you handle it? I guess things could be worse.
after 3 weeks my doctor said Im healing great. The crackling is still there. Loud crowds bother me too. Thats ok Im so much better off than a week ago. Its just so itchy inside, anyone else experienced this?
berm,
I have itchiness too! driving me crazy! Also all sorts of weird sounds, like pulsing, and bubbling, and squishing. i think these things are bothering me almost more than the pain. anyway, its good to see that other people have the same sort of feelings about it that i do. i hope you feel better soon!
Richard,
I am so thankful to have found your blog. I just recently completed surgery a week ago on a perforated ear drum, also due to tubes and not healing on it’s own. This is my second procedure. The first procedure seemed to have worked but after a second check-up the graph seemed to have died and the hole was back again unfortunately. But I believe this had to due with my lack of care for my ear due to not making sure to keep water out of my ears as well as I should have. I never really realized how sensitive the graph can be to minor everyday experiences, and while I was told there is a high percentage rate of it working I was also told my chances of it working was a bit less due to the ear problems I’ve had due to a cleft palate. That should have been a clue that I should be extra careful the first time around.
Determined to make sure this procedure work the second and last try- I have been doing research on what to possibly avoid and what else I can do to make the healing process easier, I stumbled upon your blog. Your blog has given me hope that this procedure will work as long as I stay determined to make it work and don’t over exert myself or do anything that could cause strain on my ear. I’m also glad to have read your experiences with healing and how noises affect your hearing now that your ear drum no longer has a hole. It has prepared me for what to expect after the hole has gone and that recovery will be a long, and at times, painful process.
Glad to see you have had a great recovery and have found this procedure to be very well worth it. I hope to have the same great experience as you.
-Meghan
Meghan, like you, I went for tubes and several grafts as a child. None of them worked for me.
I’m so happy that you’re hopeful that if you play your cards right, that everything will be okay, and I’m glad to have played any role in that. Although recovery is difficult, it is absolutely worth it.
Best of luck with healing! Please let us know how it goes!
To everyone out there with this surgery. Its been almost two months. My job requires lifting heavy things so Im not back to work yet. I have been taking it real easy. Dinners,walking,I hang out by the pool, but I dont get it. Loud bars still bother me. Thats ok, you find ways around that. Keep your chin up, you will get better. Just do as the doctor says.
In loud areas, I typically rip up a small piece of tissue or toilet paper and place it on the outside of my ear to cut sounds down. It’s worked for me fine at several concerts and dances.
Went to the doctor today, My ear seems to be healing the graph is still in place, but I have a minor infection. He put ear drops in and cleaned up the pus. He said I dont need to take oral antibiotics. He wants to see me in a week. He said that about 10 percent of patients get this. Im just wondering if you or anyone else has had this. Im just so sad about it, because I have done everything the doctor has told me to do.
I HAVE FOUND THESE BLOGS INTERESITNG ESPECIALLY TO HEAR ABOUT OTHER PEOPLES EXPERENCES WITH TYMPANOPLASTY. I WILL HAVING SURGERY 2-09-2010 I AM REALLY SCARED AND DON’T EVEN KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT! I HAVE A HUGE HOLE IN MY EARDRUM AND CONDUCTIVE HEARING LOSS. I AM PRAYING THAT ALL WILL WORK OUT AND THAT MY HEARING WILL IMPROVE ALONG WITH THE OTHER NOISES I AM HAVING.
Hey Brenda,
I will also be having my third tympanoplasty in either late Feb or early March. I have learned some valuable things from my first two operations: 1) If you have severe allergies look into taking some powerful anti histamine drugs while recovering, wear a mask, or stay isolated in an allergy free environment or a while. Sneezing and blowing your nose will push out your packing. 2) Learn how to accurately seal your ear with cotton balls and vasoline, although it feels disgusting and is difficult to clean off your face it is the bread and butter of recovery hygiene. You must not get your ear wet as this will ruin your graft, ear plugs seem to pop my ears which I felt was dangerous during recovery, but the cotton balls with vasoline has proven to be most effective (don’t be sparing with it, double coat if I feel like it). I hope this helps. I don;t want to see others go through the same experience I went through by having multiple surgeries. One time is hard enough.
Adam J
Adam – that’s a great strategy for keeping the ear dry. Thanks for sharing it.
Hey!
I googled “I just had a tympanoplasty and now…” and I came across your blog. Just the thing!
I had my first tymp in September 2007 and it failed. I was crushed because as a child my parents couldn’t afford to fix my ear so I was constantly dealing with ear pain and infections. I thought it was purely a matter of having the surgery and being healed! Fixed! I could swim and shower with no worries!
I was prego right away, so a few months after our kiddo was born we went ahead and met with our ENT and got the surgery scheduled. He wasn’t very optimistic… said something about grafts not holding once you got older, bad placement of the perforation, etc. Yeah, should have been a sign to shop around for a different doc, huh? By the way, I was 21. Not THAT old!
When my friend offered to marry me and also fix my ear, I knew I’d met the one.
Just a couple of months ago my ear started really bothering me again. This time I got a referral to somewhere else, who referred me to somewhere else, and I ended up in Iowa City, IA- at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.
My surgery was a week ago today. I’m in a lot of pain!! I guess I’m wondering, again, if this was a flop. They did the lateral tymp- atleast, I think that’s the one. They basically cut my ear off, well, flipped it forward and the placed fascia over my whole eardrum. Apparently there are several supporting grafts as well.
Aside from sharing with a group of people who can commiserate, I was wondering about other people’s recovery experience. I don’t go back for my follow-up visit for another month… and now I’m just wondering if it worked.
I’m in pain- in my inner ear. Yeah yeah, the stitches still hurt, my outer ear is still somewhat numb and throbs… but I think I’m wondering if there is some sort of common denominator that would answer my constant wondering as to whether or not the surgery was successful!! (does that even make SENSE?!**)
~~~ Julia
Julia,
Hello! Pain is normal, very normal. Please hang in there. It’s normal to have doubts about whether the procedure was successful. If you go back into my blog’s archives, you’ll read about the anxiety I felt as to whether I’d ever feel better.
With time, and by listening to my doctor, everything was fine.
Please keep us updated on your recovery.
update/response to Julia on my recovery.
Today I had a check up after 3 months from my last appointment. With my healing process I haven’t really noticed a significant difference with my hearing. At my last appointment, 3 months ago, the doctor told me the skin graph had kept intact. At that time I would hear an occasional whistle or high pitched sound (nothing that would hurt my ears) which he said was normal. to my understanding your ears may become sensitive to noises as the nerves grow and recover.
Today I went in to have my 3rd check up. The whistling sound is gone but I do find that when I blow my nose it sounds like air is blowing past the ear drum, just as it had before I had my surgery. I told my doctor and it seems the graph does have a minor hole in it once again. But the hole is definitely smaller than what it used to be. My doctor told me this is fine and that actually most people would be better off with a tiny whole in the ear drum to relieve pressure and discomfort when flying and other things. Mind you, this is just my doctors opinion- yours may say otherwise. We still did a hearing test and the good news is my hearing has improved, since the last test I had before surgery, significantly. I still have to wear an ear plug in my right ear when swimming and it is still recommended that I don’t scuba dive for fear of the water putting too much pressure on my ear drum. especially since it is still healing. Snorkeling has been a pretty good alternative though. Other than that I have nothing else to worry about. I never had many ear infections as an adult with my perforated ear drum oddly enough. It only seemed to affect my hearing. So I don’t know how a tiny hole in the ear drum would affect someone else who has had many ear infections with a larger hole in the eardrum.
Also- this is my second time doing this surgery, the first surgery unfortunately was unsuccessful for me, but yours may be different if you are careful and follow your doctors instructions exactly.
Meghan, thank you for echoing the idea that everyone should be listening to his or her doctor!
On a personal level, I’m sorry to hear about the hole in your graph. I deeply appreciate the attitude you’re taking toward it, looking at the bright side.
It’s highly admirable.
Richard, I’m hoping you still keep a checkup on your blog. I just had a tympanoplasty two days ago and the muffled sounds, whistling in the ear, and the pain are really getting to me. I find myself wondering was it even worth it? I haven’t been to the doctor yet, but I took off the two bandaids (one that was holding the cotton ball in the ear and the one over the stitches) off and I was wondering if that could cause problems? Plus I’m trying to figure out how long I should expect to be in pain, because the pain is causing me to be sort of a grumpy person and I’m just scared it will run people away.
Removing a bandaid over the ear shouldn’t cause the sensations you’re describing. Call your doctor if you’re really concerned about the pain and sounds. All I can say, personally, is that I felt a lot of uncomfortable sensations after my procedure. The passage of time and listening to the advice of my doctor took care of almost everything.
Remember, I’m not a doctor. Good luck! Also, you don’t sound grumpy!
Thank you. The pain has gone down gradually. I’m glad that you’re still keeping check on this, your experience has definitely helped me. Thank’s a lot.
I had the surgery on July 6 and had all the symptoms. I was out from work for two months. My job is requires lifting and lots of noise. I took off the bandage and day two and it was bleeding. I was in pain because I did not want to take pain meds. I then took them for a week after week less pain. It was not easy. I finally flew and no pain flying. I only swam once or twice. We will see. All and all Im fine now. Not sure if I would do it again. Im fine now.
Berm,
Thank you for coming back and letting us know how it went. I’m really pleased to hear things are not fine, despite how difficult it was.
Take care!
Hi guys, great information on this site. I am scheduled to have my tympanoplasty next Monday but am having some serious second thoughts. I have had a small perforation for about 5 years, but never had an ear infection or major problems. The worst part is that I can not swim in the ocean because the salt water KILLS if it gets in my ear (as I’m sure you know). My question is did you guys think that all the recovery is worth being able to swim? If I had the infection problems some of you did, I would think it is a no brainer, but I’m just not sure. Berm, you seem the most skeptical so I would love to hear what you think in hindsight and in my position.
Craig,
That’s a really personal question. Just be aware that no one can really answer that question for you but yourself.
Hi everyone!
Well, today’s the day. I had a lateral tymp on Dec 21 and today I go in for my check-up. I had a series of unfortunate events- so I’m kind of doubtful that the surgery was successful, but they offered me a high rate of success, so I’ve still got my hopes up just a tiny bit.
Wish me luck!!
Julia
Good luck Julia!
Did anyone have any facial numbness after their surgery?
My ear was numb, down my jaw and into my cheek on the side I had the surgery on. That lasted for a few days. I had a hard time chewing or talking for a few weeks, too. It’s fine now.
God is good!! I’m still not quite sure if it has sunk in yet, but the doctor told me yesterday that my eardrum is intact- the perforation has been sealed. I couldn’t even fall asleep last night because I just kept adding things to my mental to-do list of things that I can do now that my ear is fixed! Showering with no pain, jet-skiing, the pool with my kids, hmm… maybe I should take swimming lessons?! Anyhow- I wanted to thank you, Richard, for keeping this thread alive and well. It was so nice to find a group of people who’ve experienced what I have and a place to share concerns. And Craig, if your surgery/recovery is successful, you can’t beat the feeling I’ve got.
I’m so happy for you. Live a wonderful and cautious life.
Hi Everyone,
Thank you so much for this website, full of first hand experience.
I have a similar problem. Growing up with lots of ear infections made my ear drums not function too well, especially when flying. When the plane descended, I felt extreme, stabbing pain in both my ears.
About 12 years ago, I had a major ear infection and was had station tube put in my left ear. After several months the tube was taken out and I was informed that there was a hole in my ear drum. I was informed that as long as it did not get infected and wet, the hole would not cause any problems. Actually, it worked out to my advantage when flying. My left ear does not hurt because of the hole (the right one still hurts).
I had an infection 2 years later, and was informed by another doctor to have the hole repaired. Unfortunately, (10 years ago) they would have cut behind my ear to patch up the hole. I therefore chickened out.
Lately, I had some problems with my right ear and have been feeling some pain and minor loss of hearing so I had an ear exam. At this time, another doctor told me that they can repair the hole in the left ear by going in through the ear canal and grafting skin inside the inner lobe to patch up the hole.
I am so scared and nervous, but a little more positive to know that I won’t have to get the cut behind my ear.
I having been searching up different information on the website regarding this surgery.
Everyone who got this done, do you all feel positive about it now that you have done it and has it healed well? Was there a lot of pain after the surgery?
Thank you.
wow i had no idea that so many people had problems similiar to mine im actually not too sure how similiar.. im 17 i have or had a punctured eardrum in my right ear its mildly complicated… i had tubes when i was a baby then everything was fine… when i was 12 i got a piece of seaweed stuck in my ear while swimming. either it got infected and thats how i got the hole in it or well i tried to clean it with q-tips NOT a good idea ive been told that my eardrum has 2 layers instead of the normal 4 that its thinner than others… then when i as aound 14 i had a piece of paper put on my eardrum i thought that worked for a little while..then on halloween of last year it opens again that hurt a lot so we went to a couple doctors the first one i talked too thought it wasnt open, he was a jerk prodding around in it telling me that it was just ear wax when i knew it wasnt anyway i got a tympanoplasty? monday so ive been recovering for a week taking vicodin to get rid of the pain and stuff… my worries are pretty common from the sound/looks of it i really just want this to heal so i dont have to shower with earplugs so i can swim and have my head under the water so i can go diving again possibly skydiving for my birthday… anyway i just thought id comment see the responses
Lily, best of luck.
Hey Tasha-
Well, in my opinion, it depends on how much pain/trouble the perforated eardrum causes you.
I’ve taken 3 showers without earplugs and now I can definitely say it WAS WORTH IT! 
Just be careful afterwards- take it easy, and have someone take care of you.
The surgery itself is a cinch. (I’ve had both- the “through the ear” kind and the “behind the ear.”)
You go in, they check vitals, put in an IV, wheel you down to the OR, and you wake up a couple of hours later with a bad taste in your mouth but otherwise feeling fine. You’ll have a pretty decent bandage on- which you’re supposed to keep on for a few days.
You leave, a few hours later it will start to throb, take your pain meds!! It will hurt for the next few days and at times it will suck.
I would say though, that the worst part is the recovery- in that so much of the surgery’s success depends on how well you take care of yourself. You can’t sneeze or blow your nose, life heavy objects, etc. When I had this surgery, it didn’t work. I did too much. I had the other kind of surgery in December and it worked.
Go for it.
-Julia
Thank you Julia and everyone. If I can gather enough courage to go ahead with the surgery, I will definitely follow everyone’s advice during recovery. I will keep you posted.
Thanks.
Tasha
I would easily say that Julia’s description of the procedure is one of the most informative pieces I’ve ever seen on the subject.
Tasha, good luck! Take it easy, and let us know how you’re doing.
Thanks. I will be having the surgery most likely in June. I will surely keep you all posted.
Hello everyone!
My story is pretty similar to many of yours. I’ve had problems with my ears forever, not infections, but a “full” feeling. At age 16 I recieved my first set of tubes, and since then (I am now 27) have had 3 other pairs put in. This past summer, I got a really bad ear infection last lasted about 3 weeks. After that I became very sensitive to sound, my ear almost feels as though it is swelling (which sucks at work, since I work at an elementary school!). I went to the doctor to find out that I have a perforated ear drum. He removed the tube from that ear, and after 2 months of trying to let the hole “heal on its own” I am scheduled to have a tympanoplasty on April 5. My doctor told me of two possible procedures that could be performed, one where I would recieve a fascia graft, and one that is a newer procedure where a like, amniotic graft is put in place? Can anyone tell me about the amniotic graft at all? I don’t know exactly which procedure they will be doing, is that something they decide at the time of surgery? I must admit, I am terrified after researching the tympanoplasty, and am rethinking the surgery (though I don’t want to live like I have been either! I have to wear an earplug every day, and get dizzy from the unequalized pressure). I am very thankful for this site and any information that anyone can give me!!
Hi Ryan,
I asked my Dr. re: amniotic graft. She said it is a product which could be used to patch up the hole. However, she thinks that your natural skin/graft is better to use, since your body accepts it.
Sorry, for the late reply, but hope your surgery went well.
Hello everyone! Well, I had the amniotic graft procedure on April 5 (2010). It was a minimally invasive procedure involving no cutting or stitches, and the amount of pain afterwards was quite minor. My post-op check the other day revealed that I have a tiny (microscopic) hole in the graft, though my ENT is confident that it will heal on its own, and it is causing no discomfort. The pain that I had been experiencing before surgery immediately disappeared! All in all, I would recommend the amniotic graft if it is an option. Good luck everyone!
Thanks Ryan! I hope you have a quick and fruitful recovery. That’s a great recommendation, and I hope people find it.
I have mine scheduled for March 22, 2010. I have had a hole in my left eardrum since I was a baby. I am now 27. The hole in my eardrum is very large, almost the size of my eardrum! I am curious, what type of pain medication do they prescribe you? I already experience a lot of pain and I am praying the medication they give me will help.
I am meeting with my dr. on the 31st to schedule my surgery and ask her more questions. My dr. recommended patching up the hole in the left ear and putting a tube in the right ear to help equalize pressure. Reading everyone’s comments, I am having second thoughts about putting a tube in there. The tube in my left ear was supposed to be for 6 months only. However, the right one will be in for 2-4 years (which will be great for the pain). However, now I am concerned that once the tube is out, I hope I won’t have a hole in my right ear. I had asked the dr. if the hole in my left ear was caused from the first tube, but was told no.
Ryan, sorry I don’t know anything about amniotic graft. But I have listed that as one of my questions to my dr. I will certainly notify you of my findings.
Wish you all the best Lauren and Ryan. Please keep us posted as to your experience after the procedure.
I had a tympanoplasty w fascia graft a week ago. I am still experiencing a lot of muffling in my ear and it is itching so bad. I just have to scratch it sometimes, the itching is driving me crazy. I am sure it is just the healing process though. I have had 3 sets of tubes since I was 5 years old, and that is what caused the perforated eardrum. I had a lot of pain the first few days, however now the pain is going away. Still can not hear that great, and just having the itching and crackling in my ear. Anyone else have this problem?
Hi Sis,
I hope you are doing much better today.
Did the pain continue even with pain medication? Do you mind if I ask which pain medication you were using?
My surgery will be in June.
I had an appt. with my Dr. last week. My ear drums are sucked back and sitting on the bone, which I was told has caused some bone erosion, and eventually can cause hearing loss. They will cement the eroded bone, and also do the surgery to patch the hole in the ear drum. Additionally, they will put tubes in both ears again to balance the pressure, so that the ear drums might start adjusting to pressure the right way.
Thanks.
Hi- I have been enjoying this blog and the various comments. I had a this surgery a week ago today- on the 7th. After many many many years of tubes my left eardrum just fizzled out. The first few days after the surgery were awful. The pain was intense. Tonight the packing came out and I’m kind of worried about it. Not any real pain, but I am experiencing some pulsing that is bothersome. I was surprised at the amount of bruising I had after this surgery. My neck turned black and blue about 5 days post surgery. My upper ear is definitely numb. Should I be worried about the packing coming out early? Should I call the doctor? Your insight would be helpful.
Thanks.
-p
Hi Phoebe,
I haven’t had the surgery yet, but my Dr. had mentioned that the outer packing comes out in a week and if not, they will remove it in a week. Which hospital do you have? Kaiser has advice nurse, whom you can call anytime for questions.
You mentioned about bruising – did the Dr. go through the ear canal to repair the ear drum or did they make an incision behind the ear?
Thank you.
I had the surgery about 9 months ago. I had lots of brusing on my face and the side of my hair shaved. My ear was numb and it still is a little. I got the surgery because I had a hole in my eardrum. I was able to hear but I would get lots of ear aches and would have a terrible time flying. My hearing is the same and Im able to fly without pain. My earaches are gone! The con was the healing process. Loud noises are hard for me and my eardrum is very small. All and all I glad I did it.
Hi Tasha-
Yes they made the incision behind my ear. I saw my doctor and thankfully he says everything is healing nicely. I’m feeling back to normal for the most part. Some minor popping noises but overall I think I’m hearing better. I’m also glad I had the procedure done. I had my surgery at Virginia Mason in Seattle, WA. They were wonderful!
Congratulations Phoebe,
I am glad that things have worked out well for you. All the best.
I pray that my surgery will go well. It’s on June 16.
Does anyone have any advice re: which pain medication works better for post-surgery pain?
Thanks.
How soon was it before any of you traveled by air? My daughter had a tynpanoplasty on the 24th of March. We are looking at flying on the 24th of May.
Thanks
R
Ratna,
I have yet to travel by air since my procedure. My lifestyle doesn’t require it, and therefore, I have no useful answer for you. Hopefully someone else reading these threads has an answer for you.
Air Travel,
My doctor told me to wait a month from surgery I actually waited 2 months. Everything went great.
Richard and Berm,
Thank you for your replies. I am keeping my fingers crossed that we will be able to fly and not have to drive cross country. 2nd follow up is on the 19th of May.
When could you all start to swim?
-R
My boyfriend just had his surgery 2 days ago and the pain is intense. He tells me he can almost feel the packing touching his brain. He is worried that the pain and discomfort are more than he should have. He is on pain medicine but has a high tolerance for it so it’s not taking it away. Can anyone tell me if this is normal?
Kaity,
I’m going to tell you that two days out, the pain may be intense. If he’s still feeling awful in another two days, despite pain medication, I’d give someone a call. He’s going to “feel” it for a little while, but the pain should diminish.
Kaity,
Yes- the intense pain is unfortunately normal. The pain was excruciating until day 5. After 3 days I called the doctor and his nurse told me that on day 5 the pain would go away, and it did. Pain meds did little for me either. It was like I still felt the pain only I was groggy and cranky. I’m sorry your boyfriend is suffering. However- it has been almost 2 months since I had my surgery and I feel great. I know I can hear better. Last night I went to a dance, the music was loud and irritating- so I left. It may sound funny but I was thrilled to death the music hurt my ears, because that means my little eardrums are working!
Tell your boyfriend to hang in there. It will get better.
-p
Dear Kaity,
The pain is very intense the first couple of days. Stay on top of the meds.
Thank you all so much. He finally couldn’t take it and was so worried we went to the er this morning. The doctor took out some of the packing and gave him stronger pain meds. He says it feels a little better but is still annoying. He is going for his first follow up on Tuesday and is hoping that taking the rest out will help the rest of the pain. He also had a mastoidectomy so I’m sure he is going to hurt more. Thank you again for the quick responses. We were not very well informed about what to expect so this helped alot.
Another question for you, did the ear hole look different? His looks bigger than the other side. He is wondering if it will stay that way or if it will look normal after the swelling goes down. Any comment would be appreciated. Thank you again.
Kaity
Yes- my ear hole seemed a little bigger. I think (personal opinion) that after a mastoidectomy, the ear space a little bigger than it was pre-surgery. Because what is happening is the mastoid bone is being drilled out and so I am proposing that will make the space bigger. I did not have the mastoidectomy, but my ear canal seemed a little bigger anyway. I’m not sure if it is back to normal or if I just have become used to it.
How’s he doing anyway?
He’s still in alot of pain. His first follow up is tomorrow. I’m hoping that taking out the packing will help. I’m not sure what to do. He says his jaw and neck hurt. After reading about everyones experience here I think it sounds normal. Not quite sure though. He said if he would have known it would be like this he wouldn’t have had it.
OH man! I thought the exact same thing. My doctor made it seem like it wouldn’t be so bad but I think 2 weeks went by and I was in a complete fog. The jaw and neck pain were issues too. I remember thinking that I would never had done either if I knew it was going to be that intense, but now I am really happy I did do it. Tell him to hang in there- this will pass.
Hello again!
Dr went well this morning. He took out the packing which seemed to help. Now dr says to use the ointment and pain meds and he will see us in a month. I think he is starting to believe it will get better now. A bit dizzy today he says but at least the pressure is gone. Hope now that the pain will get better a little every day.
Thank you again.
Kaity
Kaity, glad to hear that things are improving! Keep us posted as things get even better.
Wow. Hi Kaity, it is nice to know that your boyfriend is feeling less pain know. I guess most people on this website has experienced ear pain, and we all know how nasty ear pain is.
My surgery is almost here (June 16) and I am so scared thinking about the pain.
Does anyone remember which medication worked better for them? I have previously used 600mg Motrin, which was of no help. I was going to try out Tylenol with Codeine, but am not sure if that’ll help with pain. Does anyone have any suggestions regarding which medication I should get from my Dr.?
Thank you.
Hi Tasha
I hope I didn’t scare you about the surgery. Keep in mind he had a mastoidectomy too. His dr finally gave him vicodin es (extra strengh). It’s 50% stronger than regular vicodin and that’s what seemed to help the best. He also had Tylenol with Codine but it didn’t do much for the pain. He is doing much better today. A little uncomfortable but pain is much better. Good luck with your surgery coming up! I’m sure everything will go great. Look forward to hearing after how you’re doing!
Kaity
Hi Tasha-
I had my 2nd tymp in December and was able to manage the pain far better this time than I did in my previous surgery. The Dr. prescribed me hydrocodone (sp?) and when I stayed on top of it, it worked really well. I’m sure your surgery will go fine- don’t be afraid!
-Julia
Thanks so much Kaity and Julia. I am having tympanoplasty, so am praying that it won’t be as bad. I will definitely check with my doctor re: both Vicodin and hydrocodone.
I will keep you all posted re: the surgery and outcome.
Thank you.
Tasha
Hi Tasha,
Vicodine made me sick I took Tylenol with Codeine. That worked for me.
Thanks Berm.
Hi,
I had my surgery yesterday. Thank God, all is going well so far. I haven’t had any pain…yet. They had to cement 2 bones and patched up the hole. I am continuing to take my pain med (Tylenol with Codeine).
Thank you for all your support. Hope you all are healing well also.
Tasha, I’m glad to hear you’re doing well. Please do keep us updated, and good luck healing!
Thanks Richard. Today is the 4th night after the surgery and so far, all is well….no pain. My follow-up is next Thursday. Hope I’ll get positive news. I will surely keep you all posted. Thanks.
Richard,
Thanks for sharing your experience with everyone.
I had my tympanoplasty this past Thursday, and I am still having some pain and trouble chewing solid foods. Did you experience this? My jaw is rather tight and it makes it difficult to chew on my left side where the operation took place.
Mike, that sounds pretty normal to me. Give it a few more days.
Hi Mike-
I don’t want to be discouraging, but when I had my tymp in December I couldn’t eat solid foods on that side for over a week. Unfortunately, I think it’s normal! Towards the end of that week, I noticed if I DID chew food on that side it seemed to relieve a little tension in my neck and jaw.
Hope you feel better soon!
-Julia
Thanks guys! Its been a little over two weeks since my procedure and I am now able to chew foods at about 90%.
We went to the doctor yesterday for my post-op and he cleared the bandages away from my left ear and checked my hearing with a tuning fork. Everything went great, and it appears my hearing has already improved.
I’m still taking it easy for the next few weeks (no lifting, no work, no exercise etc.) and will start the otic drops today.
Thanks!
Yay!
Richard, thank you for the invaluable help you have offered to those on this blog. As an adult my eardrums have been traumatized,infectd and ruptured from years of Scuba and Air Travel. (I have been blessed in this lifetime) (I’m now 51) I’ve had numerous ear tubes over the years but this last tube will not fall out on it’s own after 2-years. I have moderate hearing loss but this is secondary to my desire to swim. I live on a beautiful beach in Hawaii and it hurts my spirit to be unable to swim. The (Doc’s Pro)earplugs don’t fit despite being “fitted” for them and I’ve tried just about every other product out there. My ENT has not offered any alternatives such as surgery but I’m compelled to find an alternative. I only need the eardrum patched. Any suggestions, comments to help me figure out if the surgery is the best option and secondly how do I approach my Physician to hopefully get the procedure covered under insurance? Any help, direction or support is appreciated… The ocean is my place of santuary and healing which I need so much right now. Mahalo and with much gratitude- Candi
Candice,
I think that only a doctor can help you with this. I don’t really have any advice to offer you. Hope you can figure it out and be happy!
Hi Candice,
I just wanted to give you a little heads-up based on my experience. When I went in to a pretty random specialist two years ago and was looking for a tympanoplasty I just explained to him that I was in a fair amount of discomfort (especially after showers (and based on my calculations, if I washed my hair every other day for the rest of my life, I’d be looking at 10,950 instances of pain!)) during my everyday activities, not to mention the fact that I would never swim or take my girls in to the pool, attend a loud concert, etc. He seemed to understand this and after weighing other possibilities (earplugs, never worked for me) and the fact that it was potentially damaging my hearing he ordered a tympanoplasty for me. Now granted, the first tymp I had didn’t work out- but based on the doc’s ordering of this surgery I had no problems with insurance. They’ve covered my 2nd surgery as well, and I’m a whole woman again!
I do think you should talk to your doctor. But do read up on the subject, so you’re an informed patient!
I hope I was of some help – if I can answer anything else, please let me know!
Julia
I have felt pretty alone dealing with my ear problems these last few years, despite the fact that I’ve worked in the medical field for 20-years. I can’t express my gratitude for your replies and the amazing information on this site. You all have offered me something the medical community hasn’t… HOPE!
Hi Richard,
I came across your blog a few months ago when I was told I would need a tympano-mastoidectomy with an ossicular reconstruction on my right ear. I’m been having problems with it and some gradually declining hearing loss for the last 5 years. But, ironically, I had no problems with my ears at all in childhood and adolescence. I’m 33 and being a part-time musician it started to affect my performance. It was time to get it fixed. Now is day 4 after surgery and I’ll see my doctor in a little over a week to remove packing. Sounds are very muffled and like you said that is throwing off my perception of sound. I haven’t had any issues and I’m healing nicely. No real significant pain and swelling is at a minimum. I’m a very healthy person, I train for 1/2 marathons and typically eat right. This is a great blog, btw. How are you doing? It’s gotta be a good year or year and a half since your surgery. Hopefully I’ll heal fast and be back to hearing more than muffled sounds in a month or so. Thanks for the blog! Very informative!
Hey Kevin!
Glad to hear things are going well for you. That makes me very happy, and thanks for the kind words about the blog.
I’m doing well! I’m feeling good, the ear is good, and life is moving along swimmingly!
Please do come back and let us know how healing goes.
Hi guys,
About 4 years ago a nurse put a hole in my eardrum while syringing my ear. I am booked to have surgery in two weeks the one where they cut the back of your ear but I am freaking out and i want to know if the people who have had this done think it is worth it? I have never really had any problems other than not being able to swim and sometimes getting water in my ear when showering which leaves my ear feeling blocked for a few days. I have been looking a bit too much at google and it looks like this is really painful and there are quite a few risks involved that im not sure are worth taking. I dont think my surgeon has really given me enough info to feel positive about this whole thing. Anyway does anyone here think they wouldnt have gone through with it if they didnt really need too? Is it worth just living with this? Or is it life changing surgery?
Thanks
Hi Sam,
Ask your Dr. if they can do tympanoplasty w fascia graft (which would only need a small incision behind the ear). For this procedure, they can go through the ear canal, instead of making the whole cut. I had my surgery for the ear drum repair and bone repair in June. It went extremely well. The only pain I had was sore throat, because of the tubes.
Good luck.
Sam,
I had life long ear problems that significantly impaired my hearing. A new eardrum has been a huge blessing. The pain was intense for me. I would do it again if I had to though. I have tubes and I am resigned to stay out of water (except for showering, naturally) for the rest of my life. If I could hear then I probably would have elected NOT to have the surgery, but since I was always having to say huh? What? Excuse me? Could you please repeat that? there came a point in my life that I hated going in public because I couldn’t hear. It’s your journey my friend- let us know what you choose and if there is anything we can do to support you. I absolutely love this blog. It is reassuring to know that there are other people who have similar issues with their ears.
Well, I visited the doc yesterday for my 8-week post op (Tympanoplasty). Bad news quickly surfaced when he noticed a hole had developed on my new drum. He placed a patch over it and administered a powder form medication and gave me a prescription for this.
Its interesting, when I visited the doctor three weeks prior before returning to work my ear was fine. I suspect that the heavy lifting and activities at work contributed to this new hole. The doctor doesn’t seem to agree, but I am really disappointed. He now is telling me that I should be on light duty and not over do it with any heavy lifting. I really wish he would’ve conveyed that to me three weeks ago when everything was intact.
If this patch doesn’t work, he will have to go back into my ear (surgery again!) lift up my new drum and place a piece of cartilage behind the hole for reinforcement and to complete the drum. I really hope I will not need surgery again
Did anyone else have a similar experience after their tympanoplasty and new eardrum was placed? Thanks everyone!
Hey Mike,
Though I had a tympanoplasty with fascia graft, the same thing happened to me. Just a few weeks after surgery, my ENT found a new hole in my eardrum, that he is just kind of “letting heal on its own”. Luckily for me, the new hole kind of works as a tube and fixes my mal-functioning eustachian tube. Good luck! I’m sorry I can’t offer hope, just wanted to let you know that it happened to me too!