To wash your hair after ear surgery use ear plugs in your ear or cotton balls that are dipped in some Vaseline or Petroleum Jelly when showering or washing your hair.
This will prevent water from entering your ear.
After ear surgery you have to wear a headband at night for up to 4 weeks to prevent possible injury to the ear while you sleep.
After ear surgery the surgeon packs your ear with Gelfoam which is a material that can absorb blood and it will feel clogged and you may also hear crackling sounds.
Eventually the Gelfoam will dissolve.
The packing in your ear after ear surgery will dissolve around 6 weeks after the ear surgery.
However in the external ear canal the MeroGel ear packing will dissolve in around 2 weeks if kept hydrated.
You can sleep on your ear after ear surgery after 2 weeks.
It's recommended that you also wear a headband for at least 4 weeks at night after the ear surgery to prevent accidental pulling of your ear during sleep which can disrupt your sutures and healing.
You can brush your teeth after ear surgery although you should wait at least 48 hours after the ear surgery to bathe or shower but brushing your teeth is fine soon after the ear surgery.
After ear surgery you may need to stay in the hospital overnight in case of any complications although in some cases you may be able to go home from the hospital the same day you have the ear surgery.
Also to protect the ear after ear surgery you'll have packing placed in your ear for the first 5 to 7 days.
You are awake during ear surgery although local anesthesia will be used to numb the ear and surrounding area around the ear to keep you from feeling pain.
Also a sedative will also be given to keep you relaxed but you'll also be awake during the ear surgery.
After ear surgery it takes ear surgery around 8 weeks to 12 weeks to heal fully.
When you're healing from ear surgery it's also important to not get water in your ear and avoid any heavy lifting, strenuous activities or strenuous exercise that could put pressure on your eardrum.
The risks of ear surgery are.
Allergies to tape, suture materials, glues, blood products, topical preparations or injected agents.
Anesthesia risks.
Asymmetry.
Bleeding (hematoma)
Blood clots.
A change in skin sensation.
Infection.
Pain, which may persist.
The cost of ear surgery also called otoplasty is $3,156.00 although in some cases the cost may be a bit lower or it could be somewhat higher depending on location and the type of procedure needed for the ear surgery.
You can sometimes hear somewhat without an intact eardrum.
However you usually don't hear as good without an eardrum as the eardrum separates the outer ear from the middle ear.
And when the sound waves reach the tympanic membrane also known as the ear drum they cause it to vibrate.
The vibrations of the ear drum are then transferred to the tiny bones in your middle ear.
And the middle ear bones then transfer those vibrating signals to your inner ear.
When the eardrum is not intact, there is usually some degree of hearing loss until it heals.
The opening in the eardrum most often heals by itself within 2 months if it is a small hole.
Hearing loss will be short-term if the rupture heals completely.
Rarely, other problems may occur, such as: Long-term hearing loss.
A perforated eardrum is a tear or hole in the ear's tympanic membrane (the medical name for your eardrum).
A perforated eardrum is also sometimes called a ruptured eardrum.
A perforated eardrum can really hurt.
Most ruptured (perforated) eardrums heal without treatment within a few weeks.
Your doctor may prescribe antibiotic drops if there's evidence of infection.
If the tear or hole in the eardrum doesn't heal by itself, treatment will likely involve procedures to close the tear or hole.
A ruptured eardrum can result in hearing loss. It can also make the middle ear vulnerable to infections.
A ruptured eardrum usually heals within a few weeks without treatment.
But sometimes it requires a patch or surgical repair to heal.
At home, you can ease the pain of a ruptured eardrum with heat and pain relievers.
Placing a warm, dry compress on your ear several times daily can help.
Promote healing by not blowing your nose any more than absolutely necessary.
Blowing your nose creates pressure in your ears.