Mastoidectomy is an
operation to remove
disease from the
bone behind the
ear, when medical management is inadequate. There need not be drainage or ear pain for mastoid
disease to exist. Sometimes a mastoidectomy is required in order to gain better exposure to the middle ear and attic. Although complications do not often occur, they include persistent ear drainage, infection in the mastoid cavity, and
hearing loss which may be permanent. Facial nerve injury (
paralysis of the face on the side of the surgery) is a rare but potential hazard in mastoid surgery. There may be dizziness for a short time after surgery, but it is rarely permanent. Loss of
taste on the side of the tongue usually lasts a few weeks but may be permanent. In extremely rare instances, brain infection (
meningitis) has been known to occur. It is said that this was the case for the bout of meningitis that killed
Oscar Wilde. In certain instances, when the mastoid cavity is left open (as in a radical or modified radical mastoidectomy), the ear should be kept dry and swimming is not allowed.Mastoidectomies are also used to treat the disease fibrous dysplasia when there is substantial growth to the bone that caused a noticible deformity.
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