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What is eardrum repair surgery called?

There are two main types of eardrum surgery: myringoplasty and tympanoplasty. Myringoplasty is needed when there is a very small tear or hole in the eardrum. It is a relatively minor procedure that involves patching up the perforation with either a paper-like tissue or a gel. This procedure typically takes half an hour or less and can be performed under a local anesthetic. 

If the hole in the eardrum is too large, a tympanoplasty may be needed. A tympanoplasty may also be required if you have a chronic ear infection that has proven resistant to antibiotics. 

During a tympanoplasty, a surgeon uses a laser to remove excess tissue build-up from the middle ear. Then they take a small section of your tissue from a muscle sheath or vein and graft it onto the eardrum to close the perforation. The surgeon accesses the eardrum either endoscopically via the ear canal or by making a small incision behind the ear.

Is tympanoplasty a major surgery?

Is eardrum repair surgery painful?

How long does it take to recover from eardrum repair surgery?

What can you not do after tympanoplasty?

Does scarring on eardrum affect hearing?

Can I heal my eardrum without surgery?

* Savings estimate based on a study of more than 1 billion claims comparing self-pay (or cash pay) prices of a frequency-weighted market basket of procedures to insurer-negotiated rates for the same. Claims were collected between July 2017 and July 2019. R.Lawrence Van Horn, Arthur Laffer, Robert L.Metcalf. 2019. The Transformative Potential for Price Transparency in Healthcare: Benefits for Consumers and Providers. Health Management Policy and Innovation, Volume 4, Issue 3.

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Your actual costs may be higher or lower than these cost estimates. Check with your provider and health plan details to confirm the costs that you may be charged for a service or procedure.You are responsible for costs that are not covered and for getting any pre-authorizations or referrals required by your health plan. Neither payments nor benefits are guaranteed. Provider data, including price data, provided in part by Turquoise Health.

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