Patient education: Perforated eardrum repair – Discharge instructions (The Basics)

What are discharge instructions? — 

Discharge instructions are information about how to take care of yourself after getting medical care for a health problem.

What is a perforated eardrum? — 

The eardrum is the thin layer of tissue between the ear canal and middle ear. "Perforated" means the eardrum has a hole or tear in it. Sometimes, this needs to be repaired with surgery. Eardrum repair surgery is also called "myringoplasty" and "tympanoplasty."

How long it will take for you to recover, and what you need to do, depends on which type of surgery you had. If you had closed (transcanal) surgery, you might be able to return to your normal activities sooner. With open surgery, it usually takes longer to recover.

How do I care for myself at home? — 

Ask the doctor or nurse what you should do when you go home. Make sure you understand exactly what you need to do to care for yourself. Ask questions if there is anything you do not understand.

For the first 24 hours after surgery:

●Do not drive or operate heavy or dangerous machinery.

●Do not make any important decisions or sign any important papers.

●Do not drink alcohol of any kind.

You should also:

●Know it is normal to have some discharge from your ear for the first few days – It's also normal for this discharge to be a little bloody at first. You can put a cotton ball in your ear to soak up the discharge.

●Avoid increasing the pressure in your ears for the first few weeks after surgery – For example:

•Do not blow your nose.

•Sneeze with your mouth open.

●Avoid getting water in your ear – Your doctor or nurse will tell you exactly which activities to avoid. For example, you probably need to avoid swimming until your eardrum has healed. You probably also need to protect your ear when taking a bath or shower. You can do this by coating a cotton ball with petroleum jelly (sample brand name: Vaseline) and putting it in your ear to seal it.

●Take all your medicines as instructed:

•If the doctor prescribed eardrops, follow the instructions for using them.

•Use a stool softener to help prevent constipation, if needed. This is a common problem if you take opioid pain medicines. Follow all instructions for taking your pain medicines.

•Take non-prescription pain medicines, such as acetaminophen (sample brand name: Tylenol), ibuprofen (sample brand names: Advil, Motrin), and naproxen (sample brand name: Aleve). You can take these instead of opioids.

For children, the correct dose of acetaminophen or ibuprofen depends on your child's weight, so ask their doctor or nurse how much to give. Do not give aspirin or medicines that contain aspirin to children. Aspirin also increases the risk of bleeding after surgery.

●Take care of any incisions – If you had open surgery, you might have stitches, skin staples, surgical glue, or a special skin tape on your incision. If the doctor took a graft from another part of your body, you might have more than 1 incision.

•Keep your incision dry and covered with a bandage for the first 1 to 2 days. Your doctor or nurse will tell you exactly how long to keep it dry.

•Once you no longer need to keep your incision dry, gently wash it with soap and water whenever you take a shower. Do not put it underwater, such as in a bath, pool, or lake. This can slow healing and raise your chance of getting an infection.

•After you wash your incision, pat it dry. Your doctor or nurse will tell you if you need to put an antibiotic ointment on it. They will also tell you if you need to cover it with a bandage or gauze.

•Always wash your hands before and after you touch your incision or bandage.

●Increase your activity slowly – Start with short walks around your home, and walk a little more each day. Avoid heavy lifting and sports for at least a week or 2. (Your doctor or nurse will tell you exactly how long to avoid these or other activities.)

What follow-up care do I need? — 

The doctor will want to see you again after surgery to check on your progress. You might also need a hearing test. Go to these appointments.

If you have stitches or staples, or if the doctor put special material in your ear canal, you will need to have them taken out. Your doctor will usually want to do this in 1 to 2 weeks. Some stitches absorb on their own and do not need to be removed. If the doctor used skin glue or skin tape, it will fall off on its own. Do not pick at it or try to remove it yourself.

When should I call the doctor? — 

Call the doctor or nurse if you or your child has:

●A fever of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher, or chills

●Redness or swelling around the incisions

●Nausea or vomiting for more than 2 days after going home

●Ear pain that does not get better in 2 or 3 days, or gets worse

●Trouble hearing that gets worse

●Dizziness

●Fluid that contains pus draining from the ear

●Bleeding from the ear

●Any fluid draining from the ear after 6 weeks

●Weakness or drooping in part of the face

●Changes in sense of taste

More on this topic

Patient education: Perforated eardrum repair (The Basics)
Patient education: Perforated eardrum (The Basics)
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Patient education: Ear infections in children (The Basics)
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Patient education: How to use ear drops (The Basics)

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