Post op myringo or mastoid

Post-operative Instructions for Myringoplasty/Mastoidectomy
Post-op Course
After your myringoplasty or mastoidectomy, you may be discharged on the same day or staying overnight. This will depend on your operation as well as your surgeon’s preference. You will generally expect your ear to be blocked as there will be dressings packed within your ear canal. The dressings used may be either dissolvable or may need removal by your surgeon at your post-operative appointment. Due to the packing, your hearing in that ear will be decreased. If your surgery was done from behind the ear, you will wake up with a head bandage that needs to be removed the next day. If you are going home on the day of surgery, instructions will be given as to how to remove the bandage. It is important that you leave the dressings dry and keep your totally ear dry after your surgery. Showering or bathing is best done with a shower cap over the affected ear. It is common for some minor blood-stained discharge from your ear canal. A cotton wool ball with a layer of Vaseline placed over the outside of your ear canal can be used to minimise the discharge running out of the ear. This can be changed as necessary. Sometimes a firm piece of dressing (an ear wick) falls out from the ear after surgery. This is not important. The remainder of any ear canal packing should only be removed by your surgeon. Please leave this dry and undisturbed. Occasionally, your ear may be packed again during your post-operative visit. There may be stitches either on top of the ear canal or at the back of your ear. These are generally dissolvable. Medications
You will often be discharged with antibiotics after your surgery. It is important to take the whole course as instructed. Ear drops will often be prescribed and are to be placed directly onto the dressings in the ear canal. It is important to use them as instructed. They are designed to keep the healing ear canal sterile and to clear the dissolvable dressings placed in the ear. Pain after this type of surgery is usually mild to moderate and is very well controlled with pain medication. Generally the use of nurofen and paracetamol/panadeine forte is adequate. If you had medications such as aspirin, Plavix or warfarin stopped prior to surgery, please check with your surgeon when it is safe to restart these. Precautions during your post-operative course
It is important that you don’t strain or do any heavy lifting for 4-6 weeks after your surgery. Some pain medications can cause constipation so it is advisable that you get some stool softeners/laxatives from your local chemist within 2 days if you are having problems. (Your local chemist is very helpful to guide you with constipation treatment). This is so you can minimise straining which may affect the healing of the graft on your ear drum. You may need to go on light duties if your work involves manual labour and lifting (please discuss this with your surgeon, preferably before the surgery). Avoid blowing your nose as this can affect the healing of the graft. If you do sneeze, try to do so with the mouth open in order to minimise the pressure through your ears. Flying is not recommended for 4-6 weeks after your surgery. Please consider this prior to your surgery as it may be advisable to delay your surgery until after planned trips. When to contact your surgeon
A small amount of blood stained discharged is normal but if there is excessive bright bleeding from the ear canal or behind the ear – and if simple measures such as pressure or an ice pack over the ear fail to stem the flow it is important to contact our office (03) 98950400 or your surgeon on his/her mobile phone. If you notice significant redness and swelling behind your ear or a pus-like discharge from either the wound or your ear canal, or if you have a fever >38 degrees, contact your surgeon as this may be a sign of infection. It is normal to have a mild sense of dizziness in the early post-operative course but if you start experiencing severe dizziness, an uncontrolled spinning sensation or vomiting contact your surgeon.

Source: http://bencook.com.au/s/Post-operative-myringoplasty-and-mastoidectomy.pdf