Mastoidectomy is typically required for patients with middle ear infections (chronic otitis media – COM), a long-standing infection affecting the middle ear and frequently accompanied by cholesteatoma (a destructive, non-cancerous skin cyst) or an unhealed eardrum perforation. This infection, if left untreated, can spread into the skull, as well as cause significant hearing loss, dizziness, and brain erosion.
Mastoidectomy is typically performed under general anesthesia in an operating room with the help of an operating microscope and a high-speed drill.
Complications of mastoidectomy include facial
- nerve injury
- hearing loss
- vertigo
- taste disturbance
- cerebrospinal fluid leak
- need for revision surgery
- postoperative infection
- bleeding
