After trying for many months(early last fall) to treat a stubborn ear infection; antibiotics by mouth and by ear, Cipro, Floxin, Tobradex(which is actually an eye drop), the ENT finally sends me to get a CT scan. It turns out I have to get a Tympano-mastoidectomy. This is a fairly complicated and not too often done anymore procedure where they go in and push back the ear drum and remove any infection they can reach that way and then drill a hole in the mastoid bone behind your ear and remove any infected material along with any infected bone matter that may be there. The reason it is not done too often any more is because of the stronger and stronger antibiotics usually stop the infection before it gets that far. I'm one of those people who always runs to the doctor for everything, so I don't know how it got that far. Has anyone here had this done and what can I expect that they don't tell you in all the literature about the possible side effects? Is it as effective as they say? What other questions should I ask that I may not have thought of?
Thanks, royman62

Be sure to get a second opinion. I assume you are at a University hospital. That does sound somewhat radical.

The family doctor, the ENT and the radiologist who studied the results of the CT scan all agree that this is the next step. I will be going to St. Mary's in Langhorne which I have only heard good things about, compared to the other lower Bucks county hospitals. I would probably feel safer at Frankford Torresdale, but the ENT is not on staff there. It does sound radical to me too, but I really am getting tired of the pain, itching, constant draining, ringing and lack of hearing out of the ear. It's been since early fall last year they have been trying to treat it normally.
royman62

The family doctor, the ENT and the radiologist who studied the results of the CT scan all agree that this is the next step. I will be going to St. Mary's in Langhorne which I have only heard good things about, compared to the other lower Bucks county hospitals. I would probably feel safer at Frankford Torresdale, but the ENT is not on staff there. It does sound radical to me too, but I really am getting tired of the pain, itching, constant draining, ringing and lack of hearing out of the ear. It's been since early fall last year they have been trying to treat it normally.
royman62

I had a modified radical mastoidectomy in March. It was difficult to decide on this surgery given my symptoms were not severe yet. Did you decide to have the surgery?

great surgery i have 2 of them that is radical mastoidectomy surgery was a sucess best of luck