What are the risks of myringotomy and ear tubes?
The risks include: • Cutting the outer ear • Formation at the myringotomy site of granular nodes due to inflammation • Formation of a mass of skin cells and cholesterol in the middle ear that can grow and damage surrounding bone (cholesteatoma) • Permanent perforation of the eardrum. The risk of persistent discharge from the ear (otorrhea) is 13%. If the procedure is repeated, structural changes in the eardrum can occur, such as loss of tone (flaccidity), shrinkage or retraction, or hardening of a spot on the eardrum (typmanosclerosis). The risk of hardening is 51%; its effects on hearing aren’t known, but they are probably insignificant. It is possible that the incision won’t heal properly, leaving a permanent hole in the eardrum, which can cause some hearing loss and increases the risk of infection. It is also possible that the ear tube will move inward and get trapped in the middle ear, rather than move out into the external ear, where it either falls out on its own or can be retrie
