A tympanostomy places a tiny ventilation tube through the eardrum so that air can reach the middle ear and trapped fluid can drain. It is considered when fluid stays behind the eardrum for months or ear infections continue to return, particularly in children whose hearing is being affected. At Apex, the ENT surgeon in Mumbai makes a small opening in the eardrum and positions the tube, which usually falls out on its own as the eardrum heals.
How the Procedure Can Help
Tympanostomy clears persistent middle ear fluid, which often improves muffled hearing and supports speech and learning in young children. It also reduces the number of ear infections and the pressure and discomfort they cause.
Risks and Considerations
Tubes can block, discharge or fall out early, and a small hole may remain in the eardrum once the tube is gone. Water protection may be advised while the tube is in place, and regular follow-up checks the tube position and hearing.
Myringotomy is a small, controlled incision in the eardrum that drains pus or fluid from the middle ear and relieves pressure. It is advised for severe or repeated middle ear infection and for fluid that is affecting hearing. At Apex, it is often combined with tube placement so that drainage continues after the incision closes, and a sample of the fluid can be taken when an infection has not responded to treatment.
How the Procedure Can Help
Myringotomy gives rapid relief from ear pain and pressure by letting the trapped fluid out. Where tubes are placed in the same sitting, the benefit lasts well beyond the first few days.
Risks and Considerations
The incision heals within days, so fluid can return if no tube is placed. Minor bleeding or discharge can occur, and a persistent hole in the eardrum is uncommon.
Tympanoplasty repairs a perforated eardrum using a graft, usually taken from the patient's own tissue near the ear. It is considered when a hole in the eardrum causes recurring infections, ear discharge or hearing loss. The surgeon places the graft over or behind the opening and supports it while it heals; the small hearing bones are also checked in the same sitting if needed. Patients looking for an ENT specialist in Borivali for ear problems can consult at Apex's Borivali units.
How the Procedure Can Help
Tympanoplasty closes the perforation, helping to keep water and infection out of the middle ear. It can also improve hearing and reduce repeated ear discharge.
Risks and Considerations
The graft may not take fully, and a second procedure is sometimes needed. Temporary taste change, dizziness or altered hearing can occur, and the ear must be kept dry during healing.
A tympanomastoidectomy removes diseased bone cells from the mastoid, the honeycomb-like bone behind the ear, and repairs the eardrum and hearing bones where possible. It is advised for chronic ear infection, persistent discharge and cholesteatoma, an abnormal skin growth that can erode the structures of the ear. Apex plans the extent of surgery based on the clinical examination and imaging, so that the disease is cleared while hearing is protected as far as possible.
How the Procedure Can Help
Tympanomastoidectomy removes disease and creates a dry, safer ear, lowering the risk of infection spreading beyond the ear. Where the hearing bones can be rebuilt, hearing may be preserved or improved.
Risks and Considerations
Rare risks include facial nerve injury, inner ear hearing loss, dizziness and taste disturbance. Cholesteatoma can return, so regular follow-up examinations remain essential.
Stapedectomy treats otosclerosis, a condition in which the stapes, the smallest hearing bone, becomes fixed and can no longer pass sound to the inner ear. The surgeon removes part or all of the stiffened stapes and replaces it with a fine prosthesis. It is considered when hearing loss is significant, and the patient prefers a surgical solution to a hearing aid, or when a hearing aid is not enough.
How the Procedure Can Help
Stapedectomy restores the movement of sound through the middle ear and can improve hearing noticeably. For suitable patients, it offers an alternative to long-term dependence on a hearing aid.
Risks and Considerations
Inner ear hearing loss, dizziness, tinnitus and changes in taste are possible, though uncommon. After surgery, you should avoid heavy straining, flying, and loud noise for a period.
Cochlear implantation places an electronic device that stimulates the hearing nerve directly. A receiver is positioned under the skin behind the ear and a fine electrode is passed into the cochlea, while an external processor is worn outside. It is considered for severe to profound sensorineural hearing loss where hearing aids provide little benefit.
Eligibility is confirmed through hearing tests, imaging and specialist assessment, and rehabilitation is planned before surgery. Patients seeking hearing loss treatment in Mumbai that goes beyond hearing aids are guided through each option.
How the Procedure Can Help
Cochlear implantation provides access to sound and speech that hearing aids cannot deliver in profound hearing loss. When children are implanted early and follow a structured rehabilitation programme, this supports their speech and language development.
Risks and Considerations
Risks include infection, dizziness, facial nerve injury, device failure and loss of any remaining natural hearing. Results depend on therapy, device programming and regular follow-up, and not every patient qualifies.
