What is a tympanoplasty?
Your child needs an operation to fix a hole in their eardrum. This operation is called a tympanoplasty. Your child will sleep and feel no pain during the operation.
This page explains what happens during the operation and how to take care of your child at home. Use this information to tell your child what to expect, using words they can understand.
The eardrum
The eardrum is a thin sheet of tissue that separates the outside ear from the middle ear. The eardrum plays an important part in hearing.
A hole in the eardrum can cause one or more of these problems:
- Your child may not hear clearly.
- Water can get into the middle ear, which can lead to ear infections.
Holes in the eardrum are usually caused by one of these:
- frequent middle ear infections
- pushing an object such as a cotton swab into the ear passage
Before the operation
Several hours before the operation, your child will need to stop eating and drinking. A member of the health-care team will tell you when your child must stop eating and drinking.
Write this information down here:
The date and time of the operation:
When your child must stop eating:
When your child must stop drinking clear fluids:
Other things to remember:
During the operation
Your child will sleep and feel no pain during the operation
Just before your child has the operation, they will be given a sleep medicine. This is called a general anesthetic. This means that your child will sleep and feel no pain during the operation.
The ear nose and throat (ENT) doctor will take a tiny piece of tissue from an area around the ear. This is done by making a cut behind your child's ear. The piece of ear tissue is then used to fix the hole in your child's eardrum. Some children will have an incision behind the ear, but most will not. There will be Gelfoam in the ear to absorb any fluid. The Gelfoam also has antibiotic on it. Gelfoam will dissolve on its own over several days.
The operation takes about two to three hours.
Pain relief after the operation
If your child has pain after the operation, they will be given pain medication. This medication may be given through an intravenous (IV) tube in the arm or by a pill or liquid to swallow.
After the operation
After the operation, your child will be taken to the recovery room, also called the Post Anesthetic Care Unit (PACU). This is where your child will wake up. Your child will stay in PACU for about one hour. They will then be moved to a room on the nursing unit.
Your child will be given fluids through a tube in their arm, called an IV, until they are able to drink easily.
Seeing your child after the operation
You will be able to see your child as soon as they are fully awake. A staff member from the Surgical Waiting Room will bring you to see your child.
Taking care of your child at home
Please follow these steps at home to help your child get better:
- Do not get any water in the ear. Your child can have a bath but take care not to pull on the ear or get it wet if you need to wash their hair.
- Do not let your child play contact sports like hockey or soccer until the ENT doctor says it is OK.
- Do not let your child go swimming until the ENT doctor says it is OK.
- Do not let your child blow their nose. Have them cough or sneeze with their mouth open.
- Your child may return to school or day care when your ENT doctor says it is OK. Usually, this will be one week after the operation.
Pain management at home
Follow these instructions when your child goes home after the procedure.
You may give your child medication for pain.
You may receive a prescription for pain medication before you leave the hospital. Follow the dosage instructions given to you by the pharmacist. Although these prescription pain medications can be beneficial, they are also potentially very dangerous if not used properly.
When using these medications, if you notice any changes in either breathing or level of drowsiness that concern you, stop the medication and seek medical attention. If your child is unresponsive, call 911 immediately.
Do not give your child over-the-counter medication that may have a sedative effect (makes people sleepy) while giving the prescription for pain medication. Examples of these medications are decongestants and antihistamines. Discuss these medications with your pharmacist.
You may give your child acetaminophen if they have pain. Give the dose printed on the bottle for your child's age. Do not give your child ibuprofen.
A follow-up appointment with the ENT doctor
The ENT unit will make a follow-up appointment with the doctor for your child. At the follow--up appointment the doctor will:
- Check your child's ear to see how it is healing.
- Clean out the ear If there is debris.
- Check your child’s hearing with a hearing test
- Tell you when your child can start to play sports again.
Write down the date and time of the follow-up appointment here:
When to call the health-care team
Please call your child's ENT doctor or your child's primary care provider right away if your child has any of these signs after going home:
- fever of 38.5°C (101.3°F) or higher
- blood or fluid leaking from the ear for longer than seven days
- vomiting (throwing up) that does not stop
- pain that gets worse
- redness or swelling around the ear
If it is an emergency or if you are concerned about your child's condition, do not wait. Take your child to the closest emergency department.
Write down important names and phone numbers here:
The ENT surgery clinic number is:
The name of my child's ENT doctor is:
The doctor's phone number is:
The ENT clinic nurse's number is: