Tympanoplasty
What is Tympanoplasty?
Tympanoplasty is a surgical procedure to repair a perforated eardrum (tympanic membrane) and, if needed, reconstruct the ossicles (middle ear bones) to improve hearing and prevent recurrent infections. It’s often performed after chronic ear infections or trauma. In India, tympanoplasty is conducted in ENT departments at hospitals like Apollo, Fortis, Medanta, and AIIMS, often at affordable costs. Understanding the procedure, costs, recovery, risks, and FAQs is essential for patients.
Why do you need Tympanoplasty?
Tympanoplasty is indicated for:
- Tympanic membrane perforation:
- Hole in the eardrum due to chronic infections (otitis media), trauma (e.g., loud noise, ear injury), or previous ear surgeries.
- Symptoms: Hearing loss (conductive), recurrent ear infections, ear discharge (otorrhea), or tinnitus.
- Ossicular chain damage:
- Erosion of middle ear bones (malleus, incus, stapes) from infection or cholesteatoma (related to mastoidectomy, as you asked earlier).
- Chronic ear disease:
- Persistent infections not resolving with antibiotics or ear drops.
- Types:
- Type I: Repairs eardrum only (myringoplasty).
- Type II–V: Repairs eardrum and ossicles (depending on extent of damage).
The procedure aims to close the eardrum perforation, reconstruct the ossicular chain if needed, restore hearing, DELLA: restore hearing, prevent infections, and improve ear health by sealing the perforation and rebuilding the sound conduction system.
Why Do Tympanoplasty Costs Vary in India?
Costs range from ₹40,000 to ₹1 lakh:
- Procedure Type: Type I (myringoplasty, ₹40,000–₹60,000); Type II–V (with ossicular repair, ₹60,000–₹1 lakh).
- Hospital/Location: Higher in metro cities (Apollo, Fortis: ₹60,000–₹1 lakh); lower in government hospitals (AIIMS: ₹15,000–₹30,000, often subsidized under Ayushman Bharat).
- Surgeon’s Expertise: Experienced ENT surgeons charge more.
- Additional Costs: Anesthesia (₹5,000–₹15,000), hospital fee (₹5,000–₹10,000), ear drops (₹500–₹1,000), prosthesis (₹5,000–₹10,000 if used).
- Insurance: Covered for functional issues (e.g., hearing loss, infections); confirm with your provider.
Tympanoplasty Procedure
- Before Surgery Evaluation:
- Diagnosis:
- Otoscopy: Visualizes perforation size and middle ear condition.
- Audiometry: Assesses hearing loss (conductive vs. sensorineural).
- CT scan (if needed): Evaluates ossicles and middle ear anatomy.
- Blood tests: Blood sugar, clotting profile (if general anesthesia used).
- Consent: Risks, including hearing loss, are explained.
- Diagnosis:
- Surgical Techniques:
- Tympanoplasty:
- Performed under general or local anesthesia with sedation, lasting 1–2 hours.
- Approach: Through the ear canal (transcanal) or via a small incision behind the ear (post-auricular).
- Eardrum repair:
- Graft: Tissue (e.g., temporalis fascia, cartilage) harvested from the patient to patch the perforation.
- Graft placed over or under the perforation (overlay/underlay technique) and secured with dissolvable packing (e.g., Gelfoam).
- Ossicular repair (if needed):
- Damaged ossicles reconstructed using cartilage, prosthesis (e.g., titanium), or bone.
- Ear canal packed with dissolvable material to support the graft.
- Intraoperative Tools:
- Otomicroscope: Provides magnified view of the eardrum.
- Microinstruments: Harvests graft and repairs ossicles.
- Prosthesis: Replaces damaged ossicles (if needed).
- Tympanoplasty:
- After Surgery:
- Hospital stay: Same-day discharge or 1 day.
- Care: Keep ear dry; antibiotic ear drops for 1–2 weeks.
- Pain management: Mild discomfort for 3–5 days; managed with acetaminophen.
- Instructions: Avoid water in ear (e.g., no swimming) for 6 weeks; avoid pressure changes (e.g., flying) for 4–6 weeks.
Recovery After Tympanoplasty
- Hospital Stay: Same-day discharge or 1 day.
- Post-Surgery Care:
- Discomfort: Mild ear fullness or pain for 3–5 days; resolves quickly.
- Hearing: May initially worsen due to packing/swelling; improves in 4–6 weeks; optimal hearing in 3–6 months.
- Activity: Rest for 2–3 days; avoid strenuous activity or heavy lifting for 4 weeks.
- Ear care: Keep dry for 4–6 weeks; avoid ear pressure (e.g., blowing nose hard) for 4 weeks.
- Packing: Dissolves in 2–3 weeks; do not remove manually.
- Follow-Up:
- Visits at 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months.
- Audiometry: At 1–3 months to assess hearing improvement.
- Otoscopy: At 1 month to check graft healing.
Most resume normal activities in 3–5 days; full recovery takes 4–6 weeks. Success rate: 85–90% achieve eardrum closure; hearing improvement in 70–80% (varies with ossicular damage).
Risks and Complications
- Surgical Risks:
- Infection (1–3%): Persistent discharge; treated with antibiotics.
- Bleeding (1–2%): Minor bleeding in ear canal; usually self-limiting.
- Anesthesia risks (<1%): Reaction to anesthesia; rare in healthy patients.
- Post-Surgery:
- Graft failure (5–10%): Perforation doesn’t close; may need revision surgery.
- Hearing loss (1–3%): Worsened hearing (sensorineural); rare but serious.
- Tinnitus (2–5%): Ringing in ear; often temporary, may persist.
- Dizziness (1–2%): Temporary (inner ear irritation); resolves in 1–2 weeks.
- Long-Term:
- Cholesteatoma (1–3%): Skin growth in middle ear; needs monitoring or surgery (related to mastoidectomy, as you asked earlier).
- Taste disturbance (1–2%): Due to chorda tympani nerve injury; usually resolves in 3–6 months.
Report persistent discharge, fever, severe pain, or hearing loss promptly.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What causes eardrum perforation?
Chronic infections, trauma (e.g., loud noise, ear injury), or previous surgeries (e.g., myringotomy tubes, as you asked earlier).
Can I avoid tympanoplasty?
Yes, if asymptomatic: Watchful waiting; surgery is for hearing loss, recurrent infections, or large perforations.
Is tympanoplasty painful?
Mild discomfort for 3–5 days, managed with medication; recovery is quick.
How soon can I resume activities?
Normal activities: 3–5 days; full recovery: 4–6 weeks; avoid water in ear for 6 weeks.
Is tympanoplasty covered by insurance in India?
Yes, for functional issues; confirm with your provider.
Signs of complications?
Persistent discharge, fever, severe pain, or hearing loss.
Will my hearing fully improve after tympanoplasty?
70–80% see hearing improvement; severe ossicular damage may limit results.
Lifestyle changes post-surgery?
Keep ear dry, avoid ear pressure, and attend follow-ups to monitor healing.
Conclusion
Tympanoplasty is an effective procedure to repair a perforated eardrum and restore hearing, with a high success rate and minimal recovery time. India’s top hospitals (Apollo, Fortis, AIIMS) provide affordable care, often covered by insurance. Understanding the procedure, costs, recovery, risks, and FAQs helps patients approach surgery confidently. Consult an ENT surgeon for personalized guidance.
Looking for Best Hospitals for Tympanoplasty
Note: we are not promoting any hospitals
we are not promoting any hospitals we sourced all the details from google and hospitals website, please verify and start with your surgery here we go the list includes government, budget and superspeciality hospitals accreditation bodies are the National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers (NABH) and the Joint Commission International (JCI)
- click on your city and schedule your surgery now done in good hands.
| City | Minimum Price (₹) | Maximum Price (₹) |
|---|---|---|
Agra |
40,000 |
1,20,000 |
Ahmedabad |
50,000 |
1,50,000 |
Ajmer |
40,000 |
1,20,000 |
Aligarh |
40,000 |
1,20,000 |
Allahabad |
40,000 |
1,20,000 |
Amritsar |
45,000 |
1,30,000 |
Aurangabad |
45,000 |
1,30,000 |
Bangalore |
50,000 |
1,50,000 |
Bareilly |
40,000 |
1,20,000 |
Belgaum |
45,000 |
1,30,000 |
Bhopal |
45,000 |
1,30,000 |
Bhubaneswar |
45,000 |
1,30,000 |
Bikaner |
40,000 |
1,20,000 |
Chandigarh |
50,000 |
1,50,000 |
Chennai |
50,000 |
1,50,000 |
Coimbatore |
50,000 |
1,50,000 |
Dehradun |
45,000 |
1,30,000 |
Delhi |
50,000 |
1,50,000 |
Dhanbad |
40,000 |
1,20,000 |
Durgapur |
40,000 |
1,20,000 |
Faridabad |
50,000 |
1,50,000 |
Ghaziabad |
50,000 |
1,50,000 |
Gorakhpur |
40,000 |
1,20,000 |
Guntur |
45,000 |
1,30,000 |
Gurgaon |
50,000 |
1,50,000 |
Guwahati |
45,000 |
1,30,000 |
Gwalior |
40,000 |
1,20,000 |
Hyderabad |
50,000 |
1,50,000 |
Indore |
45,000 |
1,30,000 |
Jabalpur |
40,000 |
1,20,000 |
Jaipur |
50,000 |
1,50,000 |
Jalandhar |
45,000 |
1,30,000 |
Jamshedpur |
45,000 |
1,30,000 |
Jodhpur |
40,000 |
1,20,000 |
Kanpur |
40,000 |
1,20,000 |
Kochi |
50,000 |
1,50,000 |
Kolkata |
50,000 |
1,50,000 |
Kollam |
45,000 |
1,30,000 |
Lucknow |
45,000 |
1,30,000 |
Ludhiana |
50,000 |
1,50,000 |
Madurai |
45,000 |
1,30,000 |
Mangalore |
45,000 |
1,30,000 |
Meerut |
40,000 |
1,20,000 |
Moradabad |
40,000 |
1,20,000 |
Mumbai |
50,000 |
1,50,000 |
Mysore |
50,000 |
1,50,000 |
Nagpur |
45,000 |
1,30,000 |
Nashik |
45,000 |
1,30,000 |
Navi Mumbai |
50,000 |
1,50,000 |
Noida |
50,000 |
1,50,000 |
Patna |
40,000 |
1,20,000 |
Pune |
50,000 |
1,50,000 |
Raipur |
45,000 |
1,30,000 |
Rajkot |
45,000 |
1,30,000 |
Ranchi |
40,000 |
1,20,000 |
Surat |
50,000 |
1,50,000 |
Thane |
50,000 |
1,50,000 |
Vadodara |
45,000 |
1,30,000 |
Varanasi |
40,000 |
1,20,000 |
Visakhapatnam |
45,000 |
1,30,000 |
Disclaimer
This information is sourced from open platforms and is for general awareness only. Costs may vary based on individual cases. Please consult a qualified doctor for medical advice and explore options within your budget before deciding on the procedure.