Cholesteatoma surgery, ear infection with pseudotumor
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Cholesteatoma, chronic ear infection
Cholesteatoma is a chronic middle ear infection characterized by the appearance of a pseudotumor, that is a false tumor is actually a pocket formed by an epithelial tissue invasive: like skin that grows invading the cavities of the ear tissue.
Treatment of cholesteatoma: tympanoplasty
Treatment should be surgical. Leaving the cholesteatoma to its natural evolution can have serious consequences as total hearing loss, meningitis or facial paralysis.
Surgical techniques are commonly used generic name of tympanoplasties. In the case of cholesteatoma, tympanoplasty's main purpose is cleaning the ear cavities that may have been compromised by this disease, and reconstruction of the ossicles and tympanic membrane. In some cases it is necessary to completely remove the bone surrounding the middle ear leaving a large cavity that is accessed through the ear opening.
Even when the surgical technique was successful, the cholesteatoma tends to reproduce 30% of cases, which undertakes to maintain treaty revisions by ear otolaryngologist .
The intervention, carried out under general anesthesia, usually takes place behind the ear, but sometimes could be through the duct.
The surgeon may need to use materials such as biological glue, synthetic and resorbable sponges used in coagulation, or prosthesis that can replace the ossicles of synthetic materials.
Recovery intervention cholesteatoma
After the intervention, plugging in the ear canal and a bandage is placed on the head. In the first hours after surgery, mild discomfort in the ear, dizziness, numbness in the face because of the anesthesia, or even a small amount of bleeding in the ear may occur.
Postoperatively, the patient will remain in hospital for a few hours to several days, depending on your situation and evolution. Later, his progression will be monitoring the otrorrinolaringólogo periodic consultations.
In the event that an operation has been performed by open technique, which has become the middle ear in a cavity which is accessed through the ear hole, periodic cleaning of the same it is required. Besides an aesthetic will change in morphology of the ductal orifice, that will be larger, and is inadvisable water entry inside the ear. It will also be a scar behind the ear is not usually unsightly.
Risks and consequences of cholesteatoma
The intervention carries the risk of complete hearing loss and irreversible. Although it is rare, it may occur transient facial paralysis that can sometimes delayed and exceptionally final.
Noise may also occur in the ear, or aggravate preexisting, feel intermittent or continuous numbness in any area of the pavilion, altered sense of taste nerve injury rope eardrum through the ear and vertigo of varying duration.
In some cases there may be a cerebrospinal fluid, the fluid surrounding the brain. This situation will require specific treatment, usually surgery. Infections may arise both at ear level as the brain, such as meningitis or brain abscess. In some exceptional cases a herniated meninges may occur.
