Any surgery, even as minimally invasive as ear surgery could be quite distressing. Ear surgery is much less invasive than most operations. Majority of these surgeries are outpatient and do not require overnight hospital stay. Most patients return to daily activities in 1-2 days.
Despite being minimally invasive, ear surgery is an extremely intricate art form. Many important structures live within the confines of the ear including organs of hearing and balance, major vessels that take blood to and from the brain, as well as the nerves that control the facial movements and taste buds. To master ear surgery years of meticulous practice is required. Most ear surgery is performed by otolaryngologists (Ear, Nose, and Throat specialists) perform ear surgery. The more advanced cases require further two-year fellowship training in Otology, Neurotology and Skullbase Surgery. Because of the small area of surgery, ear operations are done through high-magnification microscopes with very fine instruments. The middle ear houses the smallest bones and joints in the body which could be affected with disease. They can be replaced with prosthetics as small as the tip of a pen.
In this website you can review Dr. Monfared’s approach to ear surgery. For surgeries involving the skullbase and temporal bone (such as acoustic neuroma or glomus jugulare surgery) please see our other website www.skullbasecenter.com. The surgical steps mentioned here are solely for your information and may vary depending on the patient’s anatomy or the disease state.
What to expect on the day of surgery:
You will need to arrive at the hospital 2 hours prior to the start of the surgery. After the check-in process you will be escorted to the pre-operative area where you will be
met by the anesthesia and surgical team members. We will go over any questions you may have and fill out the necessary paperwork. At this time the anesthesiologist would place a small intravenous catheter and give you medication to relax. Once you are being transported to the operating room the family members will be guided to go back to the waiting area. We will notify the family members during the surgery as to the progress and they can also ask the volunteers in the waiting area to call into the operating room for updates.
Once in the operating room we will make sure you’re completely comfortable before the onset of anesthesia. After you are completely asleep we will proceed with surgery. Many patients ask about how much hair would be shaved for typical procedures. We will shave only a very small strip of hair surrounding the incision if necessary. Most of Dr. Monfared’s otology surgeries are done through the ear canal and do not require any shaving. It is a good idea to take a shower and thoroughly cleanse your hair the night before surgery.
Once the surgery is done you will be transported to the postoperative area for recovery. At this time the surgical team will update the family in person. Most ear surgery cases are outpatient and once you have recovered from the sedation you may go home.
After the Surgery:
There are very few restrictions for patients after ear surgery. They depend on the type of surgery you have had and are delineated in the postoperative instruction handout. Not everything mentioned in this file would necessarily apply to you, but it contains general guidelines. Our staff usually mails you instruction sheets for before and after surgery as well as a prescription to use after the surgery. We also gave you an appointment for follow up after surgery. If he did not receive a follow up appointment or instruction sheets please contact Ms. Hewotte Tadesse at (202)741-3017.
Questions and Emergencies:
For questions about your care after the surgery please contact our office during the business hours at (202)741-3017 or (202)741-3250. In case of urgent issues after hours please contact the George Washington Hospital at (202)715-4000 and ask to speak with ENT resident on call. Please do not use this number for questions about appointments and other non-urgent matters. For medical emergencies either call 9-1-1 or go to the nearest emergency room.