Myringotomy

Myringotomy is a surgery that helps fluid drain out of your middle ear. It treats conditions like ear infections, glue ear and ruptured eardrum. Myringotomy involves making a tiny hole in your eardrum so trapped fluid can drain out. Surgeons typically do myringotomy and tympanostomy (ear tube placement) at the same time.

Overview Procedure Details Risks / Benefits Recovery and Outlook When To Call the Doctor

Myringotomy involves making a tiny hole in your tympanic membrane (eardrum) to help drain excess fluid from your middle ear. An otolaryngologist (ENT) usually does this procedure. You might need myringotomy on one ear or both (bilateral myringotomy).

Healthcare providers typically do tympanostomy at the same time. During this procedure, they’ll place an ear tube into the myringotomy incision. An ear tube equalizes pressure in your ears and helps prevent recurrent (returning) infections.

Myringotomy helps fluid trapped in your middle ear drain out. The fluid could be water, blood or pus.

You might need myringotomy if you have:

  • Ear barotrauma (a painful feeling in your ears due to air pressure changes)
  • Ear bleeding due to trauma, severe infection or a ruptured eardrum
  • Frequent ear infections
  • Glue ear
  • Hearing loss or muffled hearing
  • Speech delays (in children)

Statistically, surgeons do more myringotomies on children than adults. That’s because young people are more prone to ear infections. But many adults need myringotomy, too, usually because of barotrauma.

Your healthcare provider will go over specific instructions with you before your surgery day. In general, you shouldn’t eat or drink anything after midnight the night before your myringotomy procedure. You’ll also need to arrange for a trusted friend or family member to drive you to and from your appointment.

During myringotomy, your healthcare provider will:

  • Give you anesthesia. Surgeons usually do myringotomies under general anesthesia. But they might use topical anesthetic instead, depending on your situation. You shouldn’t feel pain, so tell your surgeon if you do.
  • Examine your eardrum. They’ll use a small microscope so they can see your eardrum up close.
  • Make a small incision (cut). Your surgeon will create a tiny hole in your eardrum using specialized instruments.
  • Get rid of the fluid buildup. Finally, they’ll use a suction device to gently remove fluid from your middle ear.

You probably won’t need stitches because the incision should heal on its own. Instead, your surgeon will pack your ear with gauze. From start to finish, a myringotomy takes about 15 to 20 minutes.

Myringotomy offers several potential benefits. For example, myringotomy can:

  • Ease ear pain and pressure
  • Improve balance
  • Improve speech and academic performance in children
  • Reduce the frequency of ear infections
  • Restore hearing loss due to fluid buildup

Like any surgical procedure, there are general risks like infection, excess bleeding or a negative reaction to anesthesia. Myringotomy complications include:

  • A permanent hole in your eardrum that doesn’t heal
  • Ear drainage that doesn’t go away after a few days
  • Hardening of your eardrum, which can cause hearing issues
  • Scarring of your eardrum
  • Surgical injury to your ear canal

Following myringotomy, you’ll likely feel better in a day or two. It’s important to follow your healthcare provider’s recommendations for a speedy recovery. Let them know if your pain gets worse instead of better, or if something doesn’t seem quite right.

Your healthcare provider will give you postsurgical instructions specific to you. In general, you should:

  • Avoid putting your head underwater
  • Avoid shaking your head hard for a month
  • Take all medications exactly as directed
  • Wear earplugs when you bathe, shower or swim

Most people can go back to work or school within a couple of days. Ask your healthcare provider when it’s safe to resume normal routines.

Myringotomy side effects

It’s normal to have some side effects after myringotomy, including:

  • Dizziness. It’s possible to have dizziness or balance issues for a few days after surgery. Tell your healthcare provider if you have dizziness that lasts longer than 12 hours.
  • Ear drainage. Clear or yellow drainage is normal for up to three days. It means your surgery was successful. Let your surgeon know if you have drainage for longer than a week.
  • Ear pain. You might have slight discomfort in and around your ear for a day or two. Your healthcare provider will recommend medication that should help.
  • Muffled hearing. It might feel like your ear is clogged after myringotomy. This should go away on its own in a few days.

When should I call my healthcare provider?

If you’ve recently had myringotomy, it’s important to keep a close eye on any side effects. You should call your healthcare provider if you develop:

  • Chest pain (due to inflammation of surrounding tissue)
  • Excessive ear bleeding or drainage
  • Muffled hearing that lasts more than a few days
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Pain that doesn’t get better with medication
  • Shortness of breath
  • Signs of infection, like fever or chills
  • Skin discoloration or swelling around your ear
  • American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. Clinical Indicators: Myringotomy and Tympanostomy Tubes (https://www.entnet.org/resource/clinical-indicators-myringotomy-and-tympanostomy-tubes/). Last updated 4/22/2021. Accessed 11/20/2024.
  • Merck Manual, Consumer Version. Myringotomy: Treating Secretory Otitis Media (https://www.merckmanuals.com/home/multimedia/table/myringotomy-treating-secretory-otitis-media). Accessed 11/20/2024.
  • Merck Manual, Professional Version. Otitis Media (Serous) (https://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/ear-nose-and-throat-disorders/middle-ear-and-tympanic-membrane-disorders/otitis-media-serous). Last reviewed 1/2024. Accessed 11/20/2024.
  • Patel AA, Weber PC, Levi JR. The effect of tympanostomy tubes on otoacoustic emissions (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38698162/). Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol. 2024 Sep;281(9):4635-4639. Accessed 11/20/2024.
  • Williams MP, Tudeen M, Orlando FA, Malaty J. Otology: Ear Infections (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39018127/). FP Essent. 2024 Jul;542:23-28. Accessed 11/20/2024.

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