Tympanoplasty & Ossiculoplasty

At an initial consultation, your ENT specialist will take a detailed medical history, discuss your symptoms, and examine your ear using a microscope. A hearing test will be arranged, and a CT scan may be recommended if further information about the middle ear or mastoid is needed. Your surgeon will help you understand the procedure, the risks, and the recovery process, so you can make an informed choice about whether surgery is right for you.

Your procedure will take place in our dedicated Surgery Centre. When you arrive, you’ll be shown to your private patient pod, where you can change into a gown before being taken to the operating suite.

Tympanoplasty and ossiculoplasty are typically carried out under general anaesthesia, so you’ll be asleep for the surgery. In some cases, sedation with a local anaesthetic may be an option, depending on your symptoms and the complexity of the repair.

During the procedure, your surgeon will usually access the middle ear either through the ear canal or, if needed, through a small incision behind or above the ear. Your surgeon will lift the eardrum and assess the middle ear. If repairing the eardrum, they’ll place a graft taken from cartilage or a nearby tissue layer to strengthen or close the perforation. If the hearing bones are damaged, your surgeon may:

• reshape or reposition them

• repair them using bone cement

• replace them with a titanium prosthesis designed for the middle ear

Once the eardrum and hearing bones have been reconstructed, the eardrum is gently repositioned. A soft dressing or pack is placed inside the ear canal to support healing and protect the graft and any prosthesis. Any external incision is closed with dissolvable stitches and usually heals very well.

Tympanoplasty and ossiculoplasty usually take between 45 minutes and 2 hours, depending on the type of repair and whether both procedures are needed. 

After the procedure, you’ll return to your patient pod to recover, supported by our specialist nursing team, and you’ll be able to go home the same day. Before you leave, you’ll receive personalised aftercare advice and a follow-up plan to support your recovery. You’ll need someone to collect you, and you shouldn’t drive for 24 hours after a general anaesthetic.

These procedures are safe and commonly performed, but all ear surgeries carry possible risks. Your consultant will discuss these risks fully before treatment, and will only recommend surgery when the benefits outweigh any potential risks. 

Potential risks include:

• bleeding

• infection

• dizziness

• ear pain

• reaction to the ear dressing

• numbness around the ear

• tinnitus

• failure of the graft or prosthesis

• a persistent hole in the eardrum

• scarring around the incision

• temporary taste disturbance

• no improvement in hearing

• reduced hearing

• the need for further surgery

Rare risks include:

• complete hearing loss

• permanent taste disturbance

Your ENT specialist will outline how to prepare for surgery. This may include:

• avoiding smoking to support healing

• stopping certain medications, such as blood thinners

• stopping eating and drinking before a general anaesthetic 

• planning time off work, particularly if your job is physically demanding

• avoiding ear infections before surgery

• arranging for someone to take you home

• keeping the ear if you have ongoing discharge

You’ll be able to go home on the same day as your procedure, and can use over-the-counter pain relief to help manage any discomfort. Most people feel tired and slightly unsteady for the first 24 to 48 hours, especially when turning their head quickly. Resting at home and avoiding sudden movements can help.

If you have a soft head bandage, this can usually be removed the following day. A soft pack will be left inside the ear canal for around 2 weeks to protect the reconstruction. This causes temporary muffled hearing, which is normal. Your surgeon may prescribe antibiotic ear drops to use on the packing for 2 weeks. It’s normal to notice a small amount of blood or yellow fluid leaking from the dressing in the first few days. Your surgeon will advise you exactly when the packing will be removed in the clinic.

You should keep the treated ear completely dry for the first 6 weeks. Using a small piece of cotton wool coated with petroleum jelly (such as Vaseline) when showering helps prevent water from entering the canal. Avoid popping your ears, blowing your nose forcefully, or sneezing with your mouth closed, as these actions increase pressure in the middle ear.

Activities that create pressure changes, such as flying or travelling through deep overground tunnels, should be avoided for 6 weeks. If you need to fly sooner because you live abroad, please discuss this with your surgeon. Travelling on the London Underground is usually fine.

Most people need around 1 to 2 weeks off work, depending on their type of job. Strenuous exercise and heavy lifting should be avoided for 2 weeks.

Your hearing may fluctuate for several weeks as your ear heals. Follow-up appointments will be arranged to remove the packing, review the reconstruction, and perform repeat hearing tests.

Please contact our Ear, Nose & Throat centre for pricing information.

At Welbeck, our ENT surgeons are experts in their field and are dedicated to providing world-class care to every patient.

With access to colleagues across other specialties, our consultants are also able to refer within the Welbeck ecosystem if required to ensure you receive the treatment you need as quickly as possible, all under one roof.  

All appointments, testing, treatment, and follow-up appointments take place within our state-of-the-art facilities, enabling us to deliver accurate diagnostics and advanced treatments.

To book tympanoplasty and ossiculoplasty, you must be referred by either your GP or an ENT specialist following a consultation with them. Self-referrals are not accepted for this treatment.

If you’d like to schedule a consultation with a Welbeck ENT specialist, please get in touch to make an appointment. Your health is important to us, so we strive to offer same-day appointments whenever possible.

Our consultants are recognised by the major health insurance companies. If you have private health insurance, your treatment at Welbeck can begin once you have obtained authorisation. We also provide care to self-paying patients. Learn more about the different payment options at Welbeck.