The purpose of a mastoidectomy is to remove any part of an infected or diseased mastoid.
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Mastoidectomy: What Is the Mastoid?
The mastoid portion of the skull’stemporal bonesits just behind the ear.
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This part of the skull bone has many air-filled cavities called mastoid air cells.
The pattern of mastoid air cells resembles the irregularly shaped air bubbles inside an English muffin.
When mastoid air cells are diseased or infected, it’s calledmastoiditis.
Removing the mastoid air cells also gives a cholesteatoma fewer places to get trapped and fester.
But mastoidectomies can vary in complexity.
Generally, a canal-wall-down mastoidectomy is more radical and serious than the canal-wall-up throw in.
What Is Tympanoplasty with Mastoidectomy?
Tympanoplasty surgeryrepairs aruptured eardrum(tympanic membrane).
The suffix “-ectomy” comes from the Greek word for “cutting out.”
As a medical term, “-ectomy” means “surgically removing a part of the body.”
Mastoidectomy “cuts out” part of the mastoid.
Mastoidectomy is a centuries-old procedure.
In 1736, a French surgeon named Jean-Louis Petit performed the first known mastoidectomy to remove a mastoid abscess.
What Happens During a Mastoidectomy?
A mastoidectomy usually takes about two to three hours.
Post-Op Mastoidectomy Care
Post-op mastoidectomy care can vary.
After the procedure, you’ll be given specific postoperative instructions and guidelines that should be followed closely.
How Long Is Mastoidectomy Recovery?
It usually takes six to 12 weeks to fully recover from a mastoidectomy.
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