Discharge Instructions: Tympanoplasty and/or Tympanomastoidectomy

Patient instructions after surgery:

Ear care

• If your child had post-auricular surgery, they will have an incision behind the ear and may have a head dressing. If your child has a head dressing you may remove the dressing the next day. If the head dressing is very uncomfortable for your child, you may remove it the night of surgery. 

• Your child has a special packing deep to the ear drum and in the ear canal. The packing usually dissolves in a few weeks. Pieces of the packing may fall out of the ear canal. This is normal. Whatever material doesn’t come out or dissolve will be removed at your follow-up visit. 

• Your child may hear noises, like popping, clicking or other sounds. This is normal. Hearing may seem worse at first, due to the packing in the ear.

• There may be some red to reddish brown drainage from your child's ear for several days after the surgery. When you remove the head dressing you may see a cotton ball in the ear. You may change the cotton ball if it gets bloody. 

• Your child's ear may stick out after the surgery. This is temporary and will resolve in a few weeks. They may complain of numbness at the top of the ear, this is also normal and will resolve in a few weeks.

• Your child will be prescribed antibiotic ear drops. Please use the drops as directed by your healthcare provider.

Pain

Your child may have ear and jaw pain when they chew. You may give your child acetaminophen (Tylenol®), or prescription pain medicine as directed by your healthcare provider.

Diet

Your child should start with clear fluids. Once your child can keep down the clear fluids, they may start a normal diet.

Activity

• Your child may shower or bathe in the tub after surgery, but you must keep water from getting into the ear canal.

• Your child may wash their hair but keep the incision behind the ear dry for the first 3 days. Hold a cup over the surgical ear while rinsing.

• You may also put Vaseline® on a cotton ball in their ear during showering or bathing. Place the cotton ball with Vaseline side down in the ear canal. Keep water out of the ear until your follow up visit with the healthcare team.

• Your child may participate in their regular activities when they feel up to it. No swimming or contact sports until after your follow-up appointment.

• Your child may return to school when you feel they are able, and they are not taking prescription pain medicine. 

Special precautions

• Your child may not blow their nose or play wind instruments for 2 weeks after surgery.

• Your child may fly in an airplane one week after surgery.

Follow-up appointment

Your child needs a follow-up visit in 3-4 weeks. Call the ENT office at 215-590-3440 to make the appointment.

Call your CHOP ENT team with questions, concerns or if your child has:

• A fever over 101.3F (38.5°C) under the arm or 102.2F (39 °C) by mouth or rectally

• Bleeding from the incision behind the ear

• Redness or swelling of the incision behind the ear

• Pus-like or foul-smelling ear drainage

Division of Otolaryngology (Ear, Nose and Throat)

215-590-3440

7 days per week/24 hours

Reviewed February 2024 by Jennifer M. Spellman, MSN, CRNP, CORLN