A common eardrum and ear canal repair surgery at surgery center facility in Minnesota includes
| |
Units |
Avg Cash price |
Provider |
Ear, nose, & throat doctor visit provider fee
First time visit
Standard
|
1 |
$176 |
Provider fee to repair eardrum and ear canal
incise and/or remove mastoid bone
Standard
|
1 |
$1,885 |
Facility |
Surgery center fee to repair eardrum and ear canal
Standard
Standard
|
1 |
$3,337 |
Imaging |
Radiology fee for CT scan of ear
Standard
Standard
|
1 |
$373 |
Prescriptions |
HYDROCODONE-ACETAMINOPHEN
Standard
Standard
|
30 |
$19 |
Anesthesia |
Anesthesiologist fee to be "put under" for procedure
Level 3
Standard
|
1 |
$239 |
Anesthesiologist time to be "put under" for procedure
Per minute
Standard
|
341 |
$810 |
Total average cash price |
|
A common eardrum and ear canal repair surgery at outpatient hospital facility in Minnesota includes
| |
Units |
Avg Cash price |
Provider |
Ear, nose, & throat doctor visit provider fee
First time visit
Standard
|
1 |
$176 |
Provider fee to repair eardrum and ear canal
incise and/or remove mastoid bone
Standard
|
1 |
$1,885 |
Facility |
Outpatient Hospital fee to repair eardrum and ear canal
level 5
Standard
|
1 |
$7,203 |
Imaging |
Radiology fee for CT scan of ear
Standard
Standard
|
1 |
$373 |
Prescriptions |
HYDROCODONE-ACETAMINOPHEN
Standard
Standard
|
30 |
$19 |
Anesthesia |
Anesthesiologist fee to be "put under" for procedure
Level 3
Standard
|
1 |
$239 |
Anesthesiologist time to be "put under" for procedure
Per minute
Standard
|
341 |
$810 |
Total average cash price |
|
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.
Tympanoplasty is typically an outpatient surgery that takes between two and three hours. It is usually performed in a hospital rather than your doctor’s office and requires the patient to go under general anesthesia. Recovery from general anesthesia can take several hours, so you may need to stay in the hospital overnight.
Both myringoplasty and tympanoplasty are performed using anesthesia, so the eardrum repair procedures should not be painful. After the surgery, however, you may feel some discomfort, particularly after a tympanoplasty. Some patients may feel a shooting pain in the ear, hear sounds such as popping or clicking, and feel as if their ear is full of liquid. Your doctor can prescribe pain medication to ease recovery pain.
It takes most patients around two to three months for their eardrum to heal after eardrum repair surgery. After the procedure, your doctor fills your ear with cotton packing, and a bandage will be placed over the outer ear to protect it. This packing should be left in for about a week.
To ensure proper recovery after undergoing a tympanoplasty, you should avoid:
- getting your ear wet. Wear a shower cap when bathing, and do not swim in the pool or beach.
- going to crowded places or contact with sick people, catching a cold can lead to infection.
- popping your ears and blowing your nose. If you need to sneeze, keep your mouth open to relieve the pressure.
- airplane travel. Changes in cabin pressure can damage the surgical site.
- smoking.
- exercise and other strenuous activities.
After a tympanoplasty, most patients’ hearing improves. However, scar tissue from the operation can cause some minor hearing loss. Hearing loss caused by scar tissue is temporary and should not last for more than two or three months after surgery.
In many cases, a ruptured eardrum will heal itself without treatment in a matter of weeks or months, causing only temporary hearing loss or pain. If there are signs of infection, your doctor may prescribe antibiotics, usually administered via ear drops. Further treatments, such as a myringoplasty or a tympanoplasty, may be required if the eardrum does not heal itself.
About the eardrum and ear canal repair surgery Average Cash Prices
This procedure is most commonly performed at either a surgery center or an outpatient hospital.
Surgery centers, also known as ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs), are independent, licensed medical
facilities that are governed by distinct regulatory requirements compared with a hospital. Procedures
performed at an ASCs are often less expensive than when they are performed at an outpatient hospital,
but they typically offer fewer complimentary services, and may not have the full-range of support
services that a hospital provides.
Outpatient facilities are outpatient departments or clinics that may be within or next to a hospital,
but is owned and run by the affiliated hospital. These facilities can perform surgical treatments and
procedures that do not require an overnight stay. Procedures performed at an outpatient hospital are
often more expensive than when they are performed in an ambulatory surgery center, but outpatient
hospitals may offer more complimentary and support services for patients because they are connected to
the hospital system.
