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Endoscopic Eardrum Repair (Tympanoplasty) - Scarless Surgery
EndoscopicSpecialist surgeons onlyCashless insuranceFree follow-ups
The eardrum (tympanic membrane) is a delicate, paper-thin membrane that vibrates with sound and protects the middle ear from water and germs. A hole or perforation in it - caused by chronic ear infections, a burst infected drum, injury, sudden pressure changes or ear-picking accidents - lets sound leak away and germs enter freely. The result is reduced hearing and recurring ear discharge, especially after bathing, swimming or a common cold.
Tympanoplasty is the operation that seals this hole using a small graft of the patient's own tissue, most often the lining of ear cartilage (tragal cartilage or perichondrium) or the temporalis fascia from above the ear. Once the graft heals into place, the middle ear becomes dry and safe again, discharge stops, and hearing typically improves. If the tiny hearing bones are also damaged, they can be reconstructed in the same operation.
At Axten Hospitals, ENT surgeons perform tympanoplasty endoscopically - through the natural ear canal using a high-definition endoscope - so there is usually no cut behind the ear, no visible scar and no head bandage. You get one honest, all-inclusive price with zero surprise billing, cashless insurance support, 0% EMI options and free post-surgery follow-ups until your hearing result is confirmed.
Honest all-inclusive price₹40,000 - ₹80,000 (all-inclusive; varies by graft type, ossicular work & city)See full cost breakdown
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Symptoms of Perforated Eardrum
- Repeated ear discharge, often triggered by colds or water entry
- Gradual reduction in hearing on the affected side
- A whistling or blowing sensation in the ear when sneezing or blowing the nose
- Ringing or buzzing sounds (tinnitus)
- Occasional ear pain or fullness during infections
- In long-standing cases, dizziness or worsening hearing - signs needing urgent review
Risks of delaying treatment
- Every infection through the open hole further damages hearing, sometimes affecting the hearing bones
- Chronic discharge can invite cholesteatoma, which silently erodes bone and needs bigger surgery
- Untreated middle-ear infection can rarely spread to the facial nerve, inner ear or brain lining
- The longer a perforation persists, the more hearing loss becomes fixed and harder to reverse
How is perforated eardrum diagnosed?
The ENT surgeon examines the ear with an otoscope and an endoscope or microscope to see the size and position of the perforation, the health of the middle-ear lining and any active infection. Photographic documentation lets you actually see the hole and later compare it with the healed drum.
A pure-tone audiogram measures exactly how much hearing has been lost and whether the tiny hearing bones are involved; a tympanogram supports these findings. If the discharge is foul-smelling or examination raises suspicion of cholesteatoma (a dangerous skin cyst in the middle ear), a CT scan of the temporal bone is done before planning surgery.
Benefits of endoscopic treatment
- Endoscopic route means no external cut, no visible scar and no head bandage
- High graft success rates - most perforations close permanently in one surgery
- Hearing improves in the majority of patients once the drum is sealed
- Ends recurring discharge and lets you bathe and swim without fear
- Day-care or single-night stay with quick return to routine
- Protects the ear from future infections spreading to deeper structures
Types of eardrum repair (tympanoplasty)
Non-surgical options
- Ear drops and antibiotics - settle active infection and dry the ear, but cannot close an established perforation
- Water precautions - keeping the ear strictly dry allows some small, fresh traumatic perforations to heal on their own within weeks
- Office-based patching - a paper or gel patch over a tiny perforation can encourage natural closure in selected cases
Surgical & procedural options
- Endoscopic tympanoplasty (Type I / myringoplasty) - the perforation is sealed with a graft entirely through the ear canal, with no external cut
- Cartilage tympanoplasty - a sturdy tragal cartilage graft used for large, marginal or recurrent perforations for added strength
- Ossiculoplasty - reconstruction of damaged hearing bones with cartilage or a tiny prosthesis, done along with drum repair when needed
- Tympanomastoidectomy - combined mastoid clearance and drum repair when infection or cholesteatoma has spread into the mastoid bone
How the procedure is performed
Endoscopic tympanoplasty is performed under general anaesthesia (local anaesthesia with sedation is possible in selected adults) and usually takes 60-90 minutes. A slim high-definition endoscope is passed through the natural ear canal, giving the surgeon a wide, magnified view of the eardrum and middle ear on a monitor - without any cut behind the ear.
The margins of the perforation are freshened so they can heal, and a graft - tragal cartilage with its lining, or temporalis fascia taken through a tiny hidden incision - is placed precisely under the drum remnant, supported by dissolvable gel foam. Over the following weeks, the drum's own skin layer grows across the graft, sealing the hole permanently. If the hearing bones are eroded, they are reconstructed in the same sitting.
The ear canal is packed with soft dissolvable material and a small cotton dressing is placed at the ear opening - no head bandage is needed. Most patients go home the same day or the next morning.
Recovery & aftercare
- Keep the operated ear strictly dry for four to six weeks - use a vaseline cotton ball while bathing
- Do not blow your nose forcefully; sneeze with your mouth open for the first few weeks
- Avoid air travel, swimming and diving until your surgeon clears you
- Mild blocked sensation and faint crackling sounds are normal while the packing dissolves
- Resume desk work in three to five days; avoid heavy lifting for two weeks
- Attend free follow-ups so graft healing and your hearing improvement can be tracked
Why Axten
Care that doesn't stop at the operating table
Every eardrum repair (tympanoplasty) package includes your surgeon's fee, OT and anaesthesia charges, hospital stay, standard medicines and post-procedure follow-ups - quoted once, in writing, before you decide.
- Talk with our experts
Share your reports on a free call. A specialist reviews your case the same day.
- Honest fixed quote
Receive one all-inclusive package price in writing - before you commit to anything.
- Insurance & paperwork
Our insurance desk secures cashless approval and completes every formality.
- Your procedure
A senior specialist operates at a partner hospital near you, on your scheduled date.
- Recovery & follow-ups
Free follow-up consultations and recovery monitoring until you are fully healed.
The Axten standard
Why patients choose Axten for eardrum repair (tympanoplasty)
For eardrum repair (tympanoplasty), Axten focuses on the parts patients usually find stressful: confirming the right specialist, explaining the procedure clearly, locking the package price in writing and keeping recovery follow-ups organised.
NABHstandard partner hospitals
100%written package quotes
24x7care helpline access
One written package
Surgeon, OT, anaesthesia, stay, standard medicines and follow-ups are itemised upfront.
Insurance handled early
Cashless eligibility, TPA paperwork and EMI options are checked before admission.
Coordinator-led recovery
A care coordinator keeps follow-ups, reports and recovery instructions organised.
FAQs about eardrum repair (tympanoplasty)
Can a hole in the eardrum heal by itself?
Small, fresh perforations - for example after an injury or a single burst infection - often heal on their own within a few weeks if the ear is kept strictly dry. However, holes that persist beyond about three months, or those caused by chronic infection, rarely close naturally and need tympanoplasty. An ENT examination and audiogram will tell you which category yours falls into.
How successful is tympanoplasty surgery?
In experienced hands, graft success rates are around 85-95%, meaning the hole closes permanently in the vast majority of patients after a single operation. Success is highest when surgery is done on a dry, infection-free ear, which is why active discharge is treated first. Cartilage grafts push success even higher for large or repeat perforations. Hearing improves in most patients alongside.
Will my hearing return to normal after eardrum repair?
Most patients gain significant hearing improvement once the drum is sealed, typically noticeable after six to twelve weeks when the packing dissolves and the graft matures. The final level depends on how much damage existed before surgery - especially to the hearing bones, which can be reconstructed simultaneously. Your pre-operative audiogram lets the surgeon give you an honest, personalised expectation.
What is the advantage of endoscopic over conventional ear surgery?
Conventional microscopic surgery often needs a cut behind the ear and a head bandage. The endoscopic approach works entirely through the natural ear canal with a wide-angle HD view, so there is no external scar, less pain, faster healing and usually same-day discharge. Visualisation of hidden corners of the middle ear is actually better, which helps complete disease clearance.
Is tympanoplasty painful, and how long is the recovery?
The surgery itself is painless under anaesthesia, and post-operative discomfort is mild - most patients need simple pain tablets for only two to three days. You can return to desk work within three to five days. The ear must stay dry for four to six weeks, and hearing improves progressively as the dissolvable packing clears and the graft heals.
What happens if I keep ignoring a discharging ear?
Each infection through the open drum nibbles away at hearing and can erode the delicate hearing bones. Chronic discharge also predisposes to cholesteatoma - an aggressive skin pocket that destroys bone and can threaten the facial nerve, balance organ or even the brain lining. Repairing the drum early is a far smaller, safer operation than the surgery these complications demand.
Where is the graft taken from, and will it be rejected?
The graft is your own tissue - usually the thin lining over the tragal cartilage at the front of your ear, or the temporalis fascia above the ear - taken through a tiny hidden incision. Because it is your own living tissue, there is no rejection; it integrates and becomes part of the new drum. The donor site heals invisibly within days.
Does insurance cover tympanoplasty, and what does the Axten package include?
Yes - tympanoplasty is a medically necessary surgery covered by virtually all health insurance policies, and Axten arranges cashless approval with major insurers. The all-inclusive package covers surgeon and anaesthetist fees, endoscopic equipment, operation theatre, room, medicines, consumables and routine tests, with zero surprise billing and free follow-ups. 0% EMI options are available; call 8156-92-92-92 for details.
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