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Tympanoplasty and/or Mastoidectomy
Leaving the Hospital
- If you have not already been given a post-operative appointment, please call the Appointment desk at (208) 777-1320 and schedule a visit approximately one week after surgery.
- Any prescription you receive just prior to or at the time of surgery should be filled. Take the medication at home as directed on the bottle.
- There are no dietary restrictions, although after a general anesthetic it may be best to start with clear liquids.
Dressings
Remove the ear dressing the day after surgery. It is not unusual to have bloody drainage on the gauze. The cotton in the ear canal is to be removed and changed daily. The incision behind the ear is covered by paper adhesive strips which should remain in place.
Precautions
- DO NOT blow your nose until such time that it has been indicated that your ear has healed. Any accumulated secretions in the nose may be drawn back into the throat and expectorated if desired. This is particularly important if you develop a cold.
- DO NOT “pop” your ears by holding your nose and blowing air through the eustachian tube into the ear. If it is necessary to sneeze, do so with your mouth open.
- DO NOT allow water to enter the ear until advised by your doctor that the ear is healed. Until such time, when showering or washing the ear, lambs wool or cotton may be placed in the outer ear opening and covered with Vaseline®. If an incision was made in the skin behind your ear, water should be kept away from this area for one week.
- DO NOT take an unnecessary chance of catching a cold. Avoid undue exposure or fatigue. Should you catch a cold, treat it in your usual way reporting to us if you should develop ear symptoms.
- You may anticipate a certain amount of pulsation, popping, clicking and other sounds in the ear, and also a feeling of fullness in the ear. Occasional sharp shooting pains are not unusual. At times it may feel as if there is liquid in the ear.
- DO NOT plan to drive a car home from the hospital. Air travel is permissible two days following surgery. When changing altitude, you should remain awake and chew gum to stimulate swallowing.
- DO NOT perform any heavy lifting (more than 20 pounds) or vigorous physical activity for three weeks after surgery.
Dizziness
Minor degrees of dizziness may be present on head motion and need not concern you, unless this should increase.
Hearing
Rarely is a hearing improvement noted immediately following surgery. It may even be worse temporarily due to swelling of the ear tissues and packing in the ear canal. Six to eight weeks after surgery an improvement should be noted. Maximum improvement may require four to six months.
Discharge
A bloody or watery discharge may occur during the healing period. The outer ear cotton may be changed if necessary, but in general, the less done to the ear the better.
A yellow (infected) discharge at anytime is an indication to call the appointment desk and arrange to see your physician. Discharge with foul odor should also be reported.
Pain
Mild, intermittent ear pain is not unusual during the first two weeks. Pain above or in front of the ear is common when chewing. If persistent ear pain is not relieved by Tylenol® or the prescribed pain medication, call the appointment desk and arrange to see your physician.
Eardrops
If you were given a prescription for ear drops, begin using three weeks after surgery. Place a few drops in the ear twice daily to loosen the packing which will run out of the ear as liquid. Tip the head to the side; place two drops in the ear allowing them to remain for five minutes. Then, tip the head into the opposite direction to allow the eardrop to run out. Continue doing this twice daily until you have finished the drops, or until advised otherwise.
Questions and Problems
Please call St. Joseph’s Ear, Nose & Throat Clinic at (208)777-1320 during office hours. After hours, call the clinic number and follow the prompts to be connected to the answering service.
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