• Stapedectomy
• Myringoplasy
• Tympanoplasty
• Masoidectomy

This instruction sheet is designed to help you care for your ear following surgery, and to answer many of the commonly asked questions. Please read it carefully.

Should you find it necessary to call our office following surgery, one of our nurses may be able to answer your questions. If not, she will ask your doctor to return the call when he/she is available or she may instruct you to come into the office to see him/her.

Postoperative visits are scheduled with your personal doctor whenever possible. It may be necessary at times, however, to ask you to see one of the other ear specialists in our Group if your doctor is not available. Your cooperation in this regard will be appreciated.

Before Leaving The Hospital:

1. If you have not already been given a postoperative appointment, ask your doctor regarding this.

2. Check with the hospital nurse to obtain any medication your doctor may have ordered. Take the medication at home as directed on the bottle.

Precautions:

1. DO NOT blow your nose until your doctor has indicated that your ear is 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.

2. 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 or cough, do so with your mouth open.

3. 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 hair, lamb's wool or cotton may be placed in the outer ear opening and cover with Vaseline. If an incision was made in the skin behind your ear, water should be kept away from this area for two weeks.

4. DO NOT take any unnecessary chance of catching 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.

5. You may anticipate a certain amount of pulsating, popping, clicking and other sounds in the ear, and also a feeling of fullness in the ear.

6. DO NOT plan to drive a car home from the hospital. Air travel is permissible two days following surgery and is preferred to automobile or train travel for trips of over 200 miles. When changing altitude, you should remain awake, and chew gum to stimulate swallowing.

7. DO NOT run, jump, bend, or stoop suddenly, or lift anything heavier than twenty pounds until told you may do so by your doctor.

Dizziness

Minor degrees of dizziness may be present on head motion and need not concern you unless this should increase.

Hearing

Rarely is 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 may 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 doctor.

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. You may take Acetaminophen (Tylenol) or the pain medication prescribed to you by your doctor.

Eardrops

If your doctor wishes you to use eardrops, you will receive them when leaving the hospital or at your first postoperative visit. Begin using the eardrops three weeks after surgery, a few drops twice daily, to loosen the ear packing which will run out of the ear as a liquid. Tip the head to the side, place two drops in the ear, allowing them to remain for five minutes. Then, tip the head in the opposite direction to allow the eardrops to run out. Continue doing this twice daily until you have finished the drops or until advised otherwise by your doctor.

If you have any questions or problems, please call our office at (408) 972-6580. If after hours, call (408) 362-4791 or the emergency room at (408) 972-7777.

(This material is reprinted with the permission of the Los Angeles Otologic Medical Group, Inc.)