MastoidectomyMastoidectomy is an operation to remove disease from the bone behind the ear when medical management has not been successful. Mastoidectomy can also be required to gain access to deeper structures within the temporal bone such as the inner ear, middle ear, facial nerve, or other areas of the skull. There are two basic variations of mastoidectomy: canal-wall up and canal-wall down. It is not always possible to predict which technique will be necessary to complete your surgery. The extent of the disease present and exposure required would dictate which type of operation is performed. Both procedures involve many of the same basic steps and approach. The recovery for both is similar. A canal-wall down mastoidectomy involves removing the back wall of the bony ear canal creating a common cavity with the mastoid behind the ear. The leaves a much larger ear canal opening and provides direct access to the mastoid cavity after surgery. In addition, canal-wall down mastoidectomy requires more frequent visits after surgery to clean the cavity, and this may be for a lifetime. Dr. Speyer will discuss the risks, benefits, and alternatives to this procedure with you in detail. Listed below are some of the disclosed risks of undergoing mastoidectomy ear surgery. By reading and signing below, you are stating that you indeed understand the nature of the procedure, the risks as listed, and alternatives to undergoing the procedure. Risks of mastoidectomy ear surgery include but are not limited to hearing loss (1-3%), failure to improve hearing, dizziness, the need for revision surgery, tinnitus or ringing of the ears, facial nerve injury resulting in facial weakness or paralysis either temporary or permanent requiring additional treatment and/or surgery to correct, tympanic membrane perforation (1-2%), numbness around the ear, jaw joint stiffness or soreness, taste alteration or dry mouth, spinal fluid leakage and other intracranial complications such as hemorrhage and or infection which are found in the medical literature but are considered rare occurrences. If you are having surgery to remove cholesteatoma, the risk of recurrence and revision surgery is up to 30%. Lastly, since you are undergoing a general anesthetic, this alone carries its own risks regardless of the surgery considered. The risks of general anesthesia include, but are not limited to, the risk of heart attack, stroke, drug reactions, and even death. You should discuss your specific risks assessment with the anesthesiologist during your preoperative anesthetic appointment.
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