I'm back!

Last week, I had an ear operation. It's called tympanoplasty. Here's a little info about this surgery:

Tympanoplasty

The purpose of tympanoplasty is to repair the perforated eardrum, and sometimes the middle ear bones (ossicles) that consist of the incus, malleus, and stapes. Tympanic membrane grafting may be required. If needed, grafts are usually taken from a vein or fascia (muscle sheath) tissue on the lobe of the ear. Synthetic materials may be used if patients have had previous surgeries and have limited graft availability.

Depending on its type, tympanoplasty can be performed under local or general anesthesia. In small perforations of the eardrum, Type I tympanoplasty can be easily performed under local anesthesia with intravenous sedation. An incision is made into the ear canal and the remaining eardrum is elevated away from the bony ear canal, and lifted forward. The surgeon uses an operating microscope to enlarge the view of the ear structures. If the perforation is very large or the hole is far forward and away from the view of the surgeon, it may be necessary to perform an incision behind the ear. This elevates the entire outer ear forward, providing access to the perforation. Once the hole is fully exposed, the perforated remnant is rotated forward, and the bones of hearing are inspected. If scar tissue is present, it is removed either with micro hooks or laser.

Tissue is then taken either from the back of the ear, the tragus (small cartilaginous lobe of skin in front the ear), or from a vein. The tissues are thinned and dried. An absorbable gelatin sponge is placed under the eardrum to support the graft. The graft is then inserted underneath the remaining eardrum remnant, which is folded back onto the perforation to provide closure. Very thin sheeting is usually placed against the top of the graft to prevent it from sliding out of the ear when the patient sneezes.

If it was opened from behind, the ear is then stitched together. Usually, the stitches are buried in the skin and do not have to be removed later. A sterile patch is placed on the outside of the ear canal and the patient returns to the recovery room.

Source: Surgery Encyclopedia

I had to stay at the hospital for four days. After one week, I'm back to work, but for a while it was hard because I felt dizzy often. I'm okay now though, and I'm back to blogging. I hope I can update here more often though.