Surgical procedures
The therapy of an inflammation of the air-filled (pneumatized) bone cells of the mastoid process (a bone located behind the ear), which can be imagined as a sponge or Swiss cheese, is always first treated surgically, i.e. by means of an operation. The goal is to remove the pus through drainage tubes. As part of the surgical therapy, a so-called mastoidectomy is performed, a (partial) removal of the mastoid process, as can be seen from the ending “ectomy”.
There are two different surgical procedures to choose from, both of which are associated with an estimated one-week hospitalization. Independent of the surgical procedure, an additional calculated antibiotic therapy is appropriate. Although antibiotics are administered randomly and without knowledge of the causative pathogen of mastoiditis, they are chosen to be effective against the most commonly expected bacteria.
The combination of surgery and antibiotic therapy is the best method of treating mastoiditis. Only in this way can mastoiditis be sufficiently treated and serious consequences can be avoided. An operation without complications as a therapy for mastoiditis is not a serious intervention and leads to an improvement within a short time. A complete recovery can be expected within a few weeks.
Mastoidectomy
In the course of a mastoidectomy, the air-filled bone cells of the mastoid process are removed under general anesthesia. An opening of the antrum mastoideum, a cavity inside the mastoid process, is also performed. A so-called retroauricular approach, i.e. an incision behind the ear, provides access to the structures. This is sutured again after the operation is completed. In a mastoidectomy, the posterior wall of the auditory canal is preserved.
Radical mastoidectomy (radical surgery)
If, instead of a mastoidectomy, a radical mastoidectomy is performed as therapy, considerably more structures are eliminated. These include the posterior wall of the auditory canal and the lateral wall of the tympanic membrane (epitympanum), i.e. the upper part of the tympanic cavity in the middle ear. In the course of the radical surgery, a large cavity (radical cavity) is created between the auditory canal and the mastoid process, which simplifies care and control. This type of surgery is indicated for extensive bone conduction.
