Reconstructive Surgery of the Middle and Outer Ear

Also known as: reconstructive middle ear surgery, reconstructive outer ear surgery, tympanoplsaty surgery, ossicular reconstruction.

What is reconstructive surgery of the middle and outer ear?

The ear can be malformed or absent for many reasons, either due to a birth defect, trauma, cancer or other reasons. Reconstructive surgery of the middle and outer ear is a medical procedure or a series of medical procedures used to rebuild the malformed or absent ear.

What happens during the procedure? 

The specific nature of reconstructive surgery of the middle and outer ear can vary based on the nature of the problems with the ear. It often involves using cartilage from the rib cage and tissue from other parts of the body, such as the thigh or abdomen, for the reconstruction procedure. Sutures are used to anchor the ear in place after the procedure.
 

Is any special preparation needed? 

Reconstructive surgery of the middle and outer ear is a challenging procedure that won’t work for everyone. A number of diagnostic tests are needed to determine if the procedure will work for the patient.
 

What are the risk factors? 

Infection, bleeding, injury to surrounding organs and tissues, nerve damage and scarring are potential risks of reconstructive surgery of the middle and outer ear. There’s also a chance that the reconstruction is unsuccessful.

Reviewed by: Brian Ho, MD

This page was last updated on: January 20, 2022 02:59 PM