Tympanoplasty (Repair of Eardrum)

A tympanoplasty is a surgical procedure used to reconstruct the eardrum. Tissue is often harvested from behind the ear to be used as a graft over the perforation.

A perforation is typically repaired with fascia or perichondrium. Sometimes, a piece of cartilage is used to stiffen the eardrum to minimize recurrent retraction pockets or cholesteatoma from occurring.

A tympanoplasty may be completed with ossicular bone reconstruction, in cases where the middle ear bones are significantly eroded. In patients with minimal bone erosion, bone may be harvested from another site and fused with the functioning ossicles. In cases where more significant erosion is present, a prosthesis may be considered to mimic the functionality of the ossicular chain and allow for transmission of sound information to the inner ear.