Tympanoplasty can repair a damaged eardrum, stop infection, and improve hearing. During surgery, you may be given general anesthesia, or local anesthesia with sedation. Tympanoplasty takes about 1 to 3 hours. It may be done along with a mastoidectomy or an ossicular chain reconstruction. The eardrum is at the end of the ear canal.
Mastoidectomy and meatoplasty are types of ear surgery. Mastoidectomy removes part of the mastoid bone (the large bone behind the earlobe). It may be done if tiny air cells in the bone become infected or damaged. Meatoplasty makes the opening into the ear canal (meatus) larger. It may be done after mastoidectomy to make it easier to check and clean the ear.
