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Mastoid Exploration: Ear Infections
Advanced Mastoid Treatment in Delhi at Affordable Price
The mastoid bone is a part of the skull bone situated just behind the ear. Mastoid surgery may be done to treat severe ear infections or cholesteatoma or Retraction pockets that have propagated into the skull (near the mastoid bone).
What is Mastoid Surgery?
Mastoid Surgery or Mastoidectomy is a procedure that helps remove diseased air cells. The mastoid bone is a part of the skull filled with air cells or hollow spaces that looks like a honeycomb. Mastoid surgery effectively clears off the diseased air cells and also removes the extra benign growths in the ear that can often spread the infection into the skull.
Depending on the extent of the infections spread in the mastoid air cells, middle ear, and inner ear. There are three major variations of a mastoid surgical procedure. They include:
- Simple Mastoidectomy: In this type of mastoid surgery, the surgeon opens the mastoid bone and removes the infections from the air cells while draining the ear.
- Radical Mastoidectomy: This is a more complex type of mastoid surgery where the surgeon drains the infections from the mastoid cavity, middle ear, and ear canal. It can be conjugated with Tympanoplasty (eardrum repair surgery) and is also known as “Canal-wall-up mastoidectomy” or “Tympanomastoidectomy”. The surgery typically enlarges the ear cavity allowing cleaning of the mastoid cavity anytime in the future.
- Modified Radical Mastoidectomy: Simpler than the radical mastoid surgical procedure, Modified Radical Mastoidectomy involves the removal of infections from mastoid air cells and specific middle ear structures.
Most mastoid air cell infections are generally treated through antibiotics. However, only in severe infections, when antibiotic treatment may not be sufficient, a mastoid surgery may be required
Why is Mastoid surgery done?
An ENT surgeon may recommend mastoid surgery in either of the following cases.
- When an infection in the ear or otitis media propagates to the skull.
- Severe ear infection with benign, abnormal cysts called cholesteatoma in the middle ear.
With an ongoing infection, the cysts grow over time to cause serious complications, including abscesses in the brain, facial nerve damage (facial Nerve paralysis), inflammation of the brain membranes (meningitis), and the middle ear (labyrinthitis).
Mastoid surgery is a usual procedure during cochlear implant surgery. If a severe ear infection leads to eardrum rupture, mastoid surgery is combined with tympanoplasty (ear perforation repair surgery) to clear the mastoid bone infection and repair the eardrum.
What are the Prerequisites of Mastoid Surgery?
Before a Mastoid surgery, your surgeon will guide you through a set of instructions about medications to be taken and avoided before the surgery. Mastoid surgery involves general anesthesia and is an outpatient surgery, you may need to have a family member or a friend along with you at the time of hospitalization and surgery to help you.
What can you Expect during Mastoid Surgery?
A Mastoid surgery usually takes 2 to 3 hours. While you will be administered general anesthesia that helps reduce the discomfort and pain, your surgeon will take you through the following process during the mastoidectomy:
- An incision is made behind the ear to expose the mastoid bone.
- Using specialized instruments the mastoid bone is opened.
- The infected air cells are removed from the mastoid bone while clearing the infections and cysts in the ear canal and middle ear regions.
- The surgical site is sutured, and the wound is cleanly dressed with gauze.
With the effect of anesthesia, you are likely to have less pain during the surgery.
Aftercare and Recovery of Mastoid Surgery
Post-surgery, as the effect of anesthesia comes down, the surgical site behind the ear is likely to be sore, and you may have a headache, while the ear can feel slightly stuffy with numbness. However, with proper care, and medications, these post-surgical effects recede over time.
- With bandages over the ear, you will need to care for the wound and try to keep it dry.
- You will need to avoid strenuous activities for at least two to four weeks post-surgery.
- Do not put any pressure on the ear.
- Check with your doctor about when you can resume work and daily activities post-surgery.
- Take your prescribed medications and antibiotics on time.
- Get a redressing of the surgical wound as suggested by your doctor.
Complete recovery from a mastoid surgery typically takes around six to twelve weeks, and most people can resume work after one to two weeks of surgery.
What are the Advantages of Mastoid Surgery?
Mastoid surgery can treat and remove chronic ear infections that cause serious health complications. It can also help minimize the recurrence of ear infections. A mastoid infection removal can prevent cholesteatoma complications such as,
- Loss of hearing,
- Vertigo,
- Facial nerve damage or facial paralysis,
- Dizziness,
- Inflammation of the middle ear or labyrinthitis,
- Inflammation of the membranes in the brain or meningitis,
- Abscesses of the brain.
Are there any Risks or Complications Associated with Mastoid Surgery?
Mastoidectomy is a safe and effective procedure that clears the infections of the mastoid bone or the complete ear canal. However, as every surgery comes with a small aorta of risks or complications, some of the rarely possible risks of a mastoid surgery include:
- Inner ear hearing loss or Sensorineural hearing loss
- Injury of the facial nerve can lead to facial paralysis or weakness.
- Change in taste or dysgeusia can prolong for several months.
- Ringing, buzzing, or hissing sound in the ear or tinnitus.
You will need to call the doctor immediately if you experience any of the following symptoms after the surgery:
- Bleeding or discharge from the ear
- High Fever- over 100 degrees Fahrenheit
- Infection or improper healing of the surgical wound.