How is a Hole in the Eardrum Repaired?

If a hole in the eardrum does not heal closed and a decision has been made to pursue repairing a hole in the eardrum (also known as tympanic membrane perforation), it is not uncommon for patients to get confused among the different surgical techniques used to fix it. There are 3 major "flavors" of eardrum hole repair.  Paper patch: Paper patch technique involves putting a thin membrane (film paper, gelfoam, etc) OVER the eardrum hole. Medial or Underlay Tympanoplasty: In th…

3/25/2012 2

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Patulous Eustachian Tube Video

In perhaps one of the most flagrant cases of patulous eustachian tube I've ever seen, the New England Journal of Medicine published a video showing the eardrum moving with respiration. Normally, the eustachian tube (which extends from the back of the nose to the ear) is closed unless one pops the ears (like when flying in an airplane). As such, one does not normally see the eardrum moving to and fro with breathing. Symptoms this poor patient with patulous eustachian tube may exhibit…

1/22/2011 2

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