Ear Surgery and Procedures at Advanced ENT Services
From placing a cochlear implant in an 87-year-old patient with sudden hearing loss to treating a nine-month-old with a severe congenital birth defect in the ear, the physicians at WMCHealth Physicians: Advanced ENT Services offer care that’s personally tailored to each patient’s needs. Today, the 87-year-old is dancing again now that he can hear music, and the formerly deaf infant is a happy, talkative second grader thriving in the classroom.
Request An Appointment or Refer a Patient | Call 914.693.7636.
Request an appointment with a New York ENT provider near you by calling 914.693.7636 or by using the following secure online form.
A representative from WMCHealth Physicians Advanced ENT Services will call you at the phone number you include on this form. We accept most insurances including Medicare and Medicaid; please be sure to ask the practice representative who calls you if we accept your insurance plan. If you have a medical emergency, please call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.
Ear Surgery and Procedures
Our ENT surgeons perform an extensive array of surgical procedures for the ears and auditory system.
Select a procedure below for more information.
Acoustic Neuroma (Vestibular Schwannoma) Surgery
An acoustic neuroma, also known as a vestibular schwannoma, is a tumor that develops from the hearing or balance nerve. As the tumor grows it can cause hearing loss, tinnitus, dizziness and facial nerve paralysis; with larger tumors, more serious problems affecting brain function may occur. The management approach to these tumors depends on multiple factors and is individualized to each patient. One option for treatment is surgical intervention to remove the tumor. Removal of the tumor is performed by a team of surgeons, including a neurotologist (an ear surgeon specializing in surgery involving the base of the skull) and a neurosurgeon. Different surgical approaches may be considered, including the translabyrinthine, middle fossa, and retrosigmoid approaches. The choice of approach depends on the size of the tumor and preoperative symptoms.
Aural Atresia Construction (External Ear Canal Surgery)
Aural atresia refers to an ear canal that is closed or undeveloped at birth. Aural atresia construction surgery is a procedure that creates an ear canal and eardrum. Typically done around the age of five or later, this procedure uses a small skin graft from the patient to line the created ear canal and is done to improve the patient’s hearing. Hearing outcomes of this procedure are generally good, though the use of a hearing aid is still necessary for some patients.
Baha® Bone Conduction Implant System (Osseointegrated Temporal Bone Implant)
The Baha® system is an implantable bone conduction device that can be used by individuals with conductive hearing loss, mixed hearing loss and unilateral hearing loss (single sided deafness). In a short outpatient surgical procedure, a small titanium implant is placed in the bone behind the ear. After healing and allowing the implant to osseointegrate (attach firmly into the bone), a specialized hearing processor is connected to conduct sound through the bone, allowing the patient to hear.
Cholesteatoma Surgery (Eardrum, Middle Ear Cyst)
A cholesteatoma is a growth of skin into the middle ear and mastoid that erodes many important ear structures over time. This growth may be surgically removed via mastoidectomy, an elective outpatient procedure. Tympanoplasty is typically done to repair damage to the eardrum. (More information about mastoidectomy and tympanoplasty can be found below.)
Cochlear Implant for Hearing Loss
A cochlear implant hearing aid is a specialized technology that allows individuals with severe to profound hearing loss to hear and understand sound. The cochlear implant electrically stimulates nerve cells in the inner ear (cochlea), which then sends a signal up the hearing nerve to the brain. In doing so, the cochlear implant bypasses the problem affecting people with severe to profound hearing loss that prevents them from benefiting from hearing aids. Both children and adults with severe-profound hearing loss may be candidates for a cochlear implant. Surgery is required to place the internal component into the inner ear.
The Cochlear™ Osia® System (Implantable Technology for Conductive Hearing Loss)
The Osia® Implant is a titanium implant placed just beneath the skin for quicker and stronger bone integration. It connects to an outer processor via a magnet and is used to treat conductive hearing loss. This technology, and other implantable hearing technology, is available through specialists at Advanced ENT Services.
CSF Otorrhea Repair (Cerebrospinal Fluid Leak)
Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) otorrhea is a condition in which spinal fluid leaks into the ear, frequently resulting in hearing loss and placing the patient at a significantly increased risk for meningitis. This may occur when the tegmen (the bone which separates the ear from the brain) has thinned or worn away, allowing the brain to bulge into the ear cavity and possibly breach the dura (lining). Surgical treatment involves repairing the dura and the tegmen in an effort to stop the leak, provide symptomatic relief (i.e. reduction of pressure and restoration of hearing loss) and decrease risk for serious life-threatening infections.
Drainage of Ear Canal and Ear Pinna (Outer Ear) Abscess/Hematoma
Fluid may build up in an abscess or hematoma in the ear canal or within the earlobe.This may occur due to infection or to a blow to the ear. Discharge, blood, or pus may be drained by a specialist at Advanced ENT Services.
Earwax Removal
While earwax is a healthy and normal part of the ear canal, excessive, impacted, or hard earwax can cause pain, pressure, earache, dizziness, and other adverse symptoms. An ENT specialist can remove accumulated ear wax safely and comfortably.
Endolymphatic Sac Decompression (Ménière's Disease Treatment)
Individuals with Ménière's disease may experience vertigo and hearing loss. Endolymphatic sac decompression is done to help maintain hydrostatic pressure and endolymph homeostasis in the inner ear. The goal is to control vertigo events and prevent further hearing loss. This procedure can be done in an outpatient setting or at a surgery center with general anesthesia.
Excision of Postauricular Mass (Growth Outside the Ear)
A postauricular mass is a growth outside the ear. The mass may be accompanied by fluid, drainage, hearing loss, or facial paralysis. Specialists may excise the mass with few (if any) lasting cosmetic or functional issues.
Excision of Preauricular Cyst (Pit or Dimple Outside the Ear)
A preauricular cyst (sometimes called a “pit”) is a sinus cavity beneath the skin that occurs right in front of the outer ear. These cavities, which are present at birth, may be simple or complex, branching out in the tissues surrounding the ear. The cysts may be prone to infection, potentially developing into an abscess. Specialists at Advanced ENT Services can surgically remove these tracts as necessary.
Exostoses Canalplasty (Surfer's Ear Treatment)
Also known as “surfer’s ear,” exostoses is a slow-progressing disease that results from routine exposure to a combination of cold air and water. The exposure causes the bone of the ear canal to overgrow, constricting and in some cases causing the ear canal to become totally blocked. Canalplasty is a procedure done to widen the narrowed ear canal.
Facial Nerve Decompression
Facial nerve compression may occur as a result of infection, surgery, trauma, tumors, inflammation, or other causes. The compressed nerve may result in paralysis, weakness, or drooping of the face. A specialist at Advanced ENT Services may be able to decrease swelling of the nerve using conservative therapies, such as oral medications, or in more severe cases, decompress the nerve through surgical intervention.
Fistula Repair
A perilymph fistula (or “window fistula”) is characterized by a tear in the tissue between the middle ear and inner ear. The fistula may develop as a result of extreme pressure changes to the ear, as can occur in head trauma, scuba diving, childbirth and weightlifting. The fistula may be surgically repaired by placing a soft-tissue graft over the opening. The procedure is typically performed under general anesthesia.
Glomus Tumor Surgery (Vascular Tumor of the Middle Ear)
A glomus tumor is the most common benign tumor seen in the middle ear. Though not cancerous, glomus tumors can cause serious problems by invading surrounding tissue, vessels, nerves and even the brain. They often present with an irritating pulsing sound in the ear, due to the fact that they are primarily composed of blood flowing through the tissue. Additionally, a glomus tumor can cause pain, hearing loss, and bleeding. Glomus tumors may be treated with surgery, radiosurgery or a combination of the two.
Hearing Loss Surgery
There are many potential causes of hearing loss; treatment often depends on the specific cause. Common surgical therapies include cochlear implants, implantable hearing aids, pressure equalization tubes, the Baha® bone conduction implant system, laser stapedectomy, ossiculoplasty, and other procedures, all of which are described on this page. Talk to your physician at Advanced ENT Services to learn more.
Labyrinthectomy (Vertigo and Ménière's Disease Treatment)
For individuals with vertigo from Ménière's disease who are not responding to medical treatment, surgical intervention may be the next best option. Surgery can either stabilize inner ear function (corrective) or eliminate sensory information from transmitting from the inner ear to the brain (destructive). Labyrinthectomy is a destructive surgery used to treat vertigo and Ménière's disease. In this procedure, the portion of the inner ear that detects changes in motion and gravity is removed.
Laser Stapedotomy (Treatment of Otosclerosis and the Stapes Bone)
Laser stapedotomy is a surgery most frequently done for patients with otosclerosis; it may also be used for patients with other diseases affecting the stapes bone, the smallest bone in the ear and the body. In otosclerosis, patients develop gradual fixation of the stapes (stirrup) bone with associated progressive conductive hearing loss. Using a laser, a tiny (0.8mm) opening is made in the base of the stapes, and a stapes prosthesis is placed to repair the problem and restore the hearing. This finesse surgery is completed as an elective, outpatient surgery and may be done under sedation or general anesthesia depending on the patient’s preference.
Mastoidectomy, Tympanomastoidectomy, Tympanoplasty with Mastoidectomy, and Mastoid Obliteration (Correction of Mastoid Bowl Problems, Chronic Ear Infections, Cholesteatoma)
The mastoid is the bone directly behind the ear. It is normally composed of a honeycomb of air cells and bone that surrounds the fragile middle and inner ear structures. In situations of chronic infection or disease processes such as cholesteatoma, the air cells become filled with fluid and/or soft tissue; surgery may be required to resolve the problem. A mastoidectomy is completed to remove the infection or cholesteatoma and restore the health of the ear. This surgery is most often completed as an elective outpatient surgery. Rarely, in cases of severe and acute mastoid infections (acute mastoiditis), the patient may be hospitalized and the surgery completed urgently. This surgery sometimes involves repairing a hole in the eardrum (tympanoplasty). When the eardrum is repaired at the same time as the mastoid is cleaned out, the procedure is known as a tympanomastoidectomy. Mastoid obliteration is a procedure that may be available to patients with recurrent mastoid bowl infections; the procedure involves closing the mastoid bowl and recreating a more normal ear canal.
Microtia Repair
Microtia repair, also known as ear reconstruction surgery, is a surgical procedure used to treat microtia, a congenital condition in which the external ear is underdeveloped or absent. The goal of microtia repair is to create a functional and cosmetically pleasing ear for the individual. A variety of techniques may be used depending on the severity of the condition. These techniques can include using rib cartilage to create a new ear, or using a tissue expander to gradually stretch the skin to cover a surgically-created ear. Microtia repair surgery at Advanced ENT Specialists can be performed at any age, but is most commonly done in children between the ages of 5 and 10. The procedure typically requires one or more surgeries to achieve the desired results, and the individual may need to wear a special headband or other device to protect the ear during the healing process.
Myringoplasty (Eardrum Repair)
Myringoplasty is an eardrum repair procedure used to repair very small ear drum perforations. Perforated eardrums occur for a variety of reasons including a history of infections, pressure problems, and prior trauma. The problem is often associated with hearing loss and may lead to further complications, such as infection and drainage from the ear. Repair of the eardrum, for restoration of the health and safety of the ear, can be completed during outpatient surgery.
Myringotomy for Fluid Drainage (With or Without Tube Placement)
Fluid buildup behind the eardrum can lead to chronic infection, hearing damage, and pain. Myringotomy is a procedure in which an ENT surgeon creates a small hole in the eardrum, allowing fluids to drain. In most cases, a tube is placed to allow airflow and prevent additional fluid build up.
Ossicular Chain Reconstruction (Ossiculoplasty), Tympano-ossiculoplasty, Tympanoplasty-ossicular Chain Reconstruction (Conductive Hearing Loss Surgery)
The middle ear consists of three bones known as the malleus, incus, and stapes (also called the hammer, anvil, and stirrup). These bones move together to transmit sound from the eardrum to the inner ear. One of the bones may become broken or displaced due to trauma, chronic infection, or damage from cholesteatoma, resulting in conductive hearing loss. In this situation, a procedure known as an ossiculoplasty can be completed to repair the problem. This repair is usually achieved by placing a tiny prosthesis to re-establish a connection. The surgery is an elective, outpatient procedure. It is sometimes done along with tympanoplasty (repair of a perforated eardrum).
Placement of Ear Tubes for Hearing, Drainage and Recurring Infections
Ear tubes, also known as tympanostomy tubes or pressure equalization tubes (PETs), are placed in children and adults to treat recurrent middle ear infections, persistent fluid in the middle ear space or pressure problems that may affect hearing. A small opening is made in the eardrum and a tiny tube is placed through the opening to relieve fluid and pressure problems. In adults, this procedure can be performed in the office. For children and patients with more sensitive ears or difficult anatomy, tubes are placed while the patient is under anesthesia in the operating room.
Removal of Foreign Body from Ear Canal or Ear Lobe
Surgeons at Advanced ENT Services can remove foreign bodies, such as beads, stones, insects, etc., that may become lodged within the ear canal. Such a procedure may be done under general or local anesthesia, depending on difficulty, the surgeon’s recommendation, and patient or guardian preference. Foreign bodies in the ear lobe, such as an embedded earring, may also be removed via incision and drainage.
Temporal Encephalocele Repair (Herniation of Brain into Mastoid)
A temporal encephalocele is a protrusion of brain through the skull into the mastoid. It can occur when someone has had chronic ear infections or cholesteatoma and puts the patient at risk of more serious problems, including CSF leak, meningitis and brain abscess. Small encephaloceles are repaired from the mastoid by a neurotologist. Larger encephaloceles may require a combined neurotologic/neurosurgical approach for repair.
Tympanoplasty (Eardrum Repair)
Tympanoplasty is a procedure done to repair a perforated eardrum, usually using the patient’s own tissue. Perforated eardrums occur for a variety of reasons including a history of infections, pressure problems, and prior trauma. The problem is often associated with hearing loss and may lead to further complications, such as infection and drainage from the ear. Repair of the eardrum, for restoration of the health and safety of the ear, can be completed during outpatient surgery.
Find an ENT Provider Near You in New York
To see a board-certified ENT surgeon at one of our many practice locations in the Hudson Valley, please call 914.693.7636 or request an appointment using the form below.
A representative from WMCHealth Physicians Advanced ENT Services will call you at the phone number you include on this form. We accept most insurances including Medicare and Medicaid; please be sure to ask the practice representative who calls you if we accept your insurance plan. If you have a medical emergency, please call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.