Eardrum Repair & Mastoid Surgery
(Tympanoplasty with Mastoidectomy)
These operations are used to treat persistent eardrum perforations, chronic drainage, recurrent infection, and more extensive middle ear and mastoid disease.
The goals are to remove disease when present, create a healthier and safer ear, repair structure carefully, and improve hearing whenever possible.
What are these surgeries?
A tympanoplasty repairs the eardrum and, in many cases, improves the function of the middle ear. A mastoidectomy treats disease within the mastoid bone behind the ear when infection or cholesteatoma has extended beyond the eardrum itself.
Some patients need only eardrum repair. Others need a more involved operation because chronic disease has affected the middle ear, the hearing bones, or the mastoid. The right plan depends on the condition of the ear, the amount of disease present, and the goals of treatment.
Main goals of surgery
Patients understandably focus on whether hearing will improve. That matters, but the first goal is often to create a healthier and safer ear by eliminating chronic infection, stopping drainage, repairing structure, and preventing ongoing damage.
Once the ear is stable, hearing improvement may also be possible, depending on the condition of the eardrum, the middle ear, and the hearing bones.
Why mastoid surgery is often needed
In some patients, disease is not limited to the eardrum. Infection or cholesteatoma may involve the mastoid bone behind the ear, making mastoid surgery an important part of the overall treatment plan.
That is why these operations are individualized. Some patients need only tympanoplasty. Others need mastoid surgery as well to create the safest and most durable long-term result.
Why expertise matters
Dr. Jackson has performed more than 1,000 eardrum and mastoid surgeries in patients across a wide age range, from young children to adults in their 80s. This is one of the most common categories of surgery in his practice, and he may perform five to ten of these operations in a typical week.
He also specializes in revision surgery. Optimal care starts before surgery and continues in the operating room. Detailed scans can help define the anatomy and extent of disease before surgery, and endoscopes provide additional intraoperative visualization that can improve decision-making during the operation itself.
In ears with more chronic disease or weaker tissue, cartilage grafting can provide added support and durability, helping create a more stable long-term repair rather than focusing only on the short-term appearance of closure.
Why patients seek specialized care
These operations are not all the same. Some ears have a straightforward perforation. Others have long-standing infection, prior surgery, scar tissue, cholesteatoma, or damage to hearing structures.
Patients benefit from a specialist who performs high-volume ear surgery, understands complex chronic ear disease, and follows the ear over time rather than treating the procedure as a one-time event.