Doctor: A perforated eardrum should be treated with surgery

Jakarta — Disorders of the eardrum can be one cause of conductive hearing loss. The condition generally requires surgical treatment. Dr. Harim Priyono, SpTHTBKL, Subsp. Oto (K), an ear, nose and throat surgeon who also practises with the Indonesian Medical Association (IDI), said a perforated eardrum should be repaired because it can trigger recurrent infections. ‘If there is a hole in the eardrum, the principle is that surgery is necessary. The environment in the ear canal differs from the space behind the eardrum,’ he said during an online discussion hosted by RSUP Nasional Dr Cipto Mangunkusumo on Friday. Dr Harim explained that the ear canal is connected directly to the external environment, while the space behind the eardrum is connected to the airways via the Eustachian tube. The difference in environment means microorganisms in the two areas also differ. If the eardrum is perforated, both areas can connect, increasing infection risk. To address the condition doctors usually perform a surgery known as tympanoplasty. The procedure aims to seal the hole in the eardrum so the ear’s structure is restored. ‘With tympanoplasty we reconstruct the eardrum so that it is intact and the two environments are separated again,’ he said. The doctor completed his specialist training at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Indonesia. He explained that the main aim of ear surgery is to remove disease and restore the ear’s anatomy to a healthy state. However, correcting the ear’s structure does not always guarantee full recovery of hearing. In some cases the damage that occurred before surgery is already significant, so hearing does not fully return to normal. If hearing loss persists after surgery, further treatment can be pursued through various methods, such as reconstruction of the auditory bones or the use of hearing aids.