Ear Problems - Kirkland, Bellevue & Seattle

Ear Surgery Options

Mastoidectomy

The mastoid is a honeycomb-shaped bone cavity within our middle ear canal. When a hole arises in the eardrum due to previous injury or infection, or when chronic infections persist within the middle ear of the mastoid, mastoid surgery is often necessitated to alleviate symptoms of this infection.

Myringotomy with Tympanostomy Tubes

Myringotomy Surgery in Seattle with Tympanostomy tubes have been utilized for almost 60 years to equalize the pressure in the middle ear. The tubes, which come in various shapes and sizes, are placed through a hole made in the tympanic membrane, or eardrum, and allow for air to pass from the ear canal into the middle ear.

Ossicular Chain Reaction

The middle ear is located behind the eardrum, or tympanic membrane, and contains three bones known as ossicles. These ossicles help to conduct and amplify outside sound to the inner ear. Damage or discontinuity in the ossicles results in hearing loss. Damage can result from many different processes, including chronic infections, trauma, and tumors/masses such as cholesteatoma. Repairing the ossicular chain is done with synthetic grafts.

Stapedectomy

The stapes is a small bone in the middle ear, which plays a role in the conduction of sound from the outside to the inner ear. Occasionally it becomes fixed due to a disease process known as otosclerosis and, therefore, can no longer conduct sound. It then has to be removed or modified. This procedure is known as a stapedectomy or stapedotomy.

Tympanoplasty

The eardrum, or tympanic membrane, is located deep within the ear canal. It can sometimes develop a hole in it, known as a tympanic membrane perforation. Causes of tympanic membrane perforations include trauma, either directly from objects like Q tips, or indirect, such as concussive forces from a slap to ear, and infection. The tympanic membrane helps amplify sound, and any defects in it can cause a decrease in hearing. Repairing the defect requires the placement of thick graft tissue, known as fascia, which is usually harvested from behind the ear.