Eardrum perforation is a hole in the eardrum which is a thin membrane deep in the ear canal and which vibrates when sound waves enter the ear and transfers sound energy into the inner ear.

Temporary hearing loss from perforation is a rare occurrence.  The effect a perforation has on hearing depends on where the hole is located and the size of the hole. Most perforations are relatively small. They are in areas that don't much affect hearing. Even so, large perforations and even some smaller ones can cause a temporary hearing loss, however, they do not cause complete deafness.

• Clear, pus-filled or bloody drainage from your ear
• Ear pain that may subside quickly
• Hearing loss
• Nausea or vomiting that can result from vertigo
• Ringing in your ear (tinnitus)
• Spinning sensation (vertigo)

In most cases, perforations do not require any special treatment. But if perforation has been present for more than 3 months without infection or drainage, the chances of it closing by itself are very low. The decision to surgically close the hole in the eardrum is sometimes a difficult one to make and depends on a variety of factors, such as the patient's age, problems with the other ear, history of infections, and the degree of hearing loss if any.

Tympanoplasty a common procedure used to fix perforation in the eardrum. The hole, in tympanoplasty, is patched using material that replaces the absent eardrum portion. Sometimes the patching material is cartilage taken from the outer part of the ear. 

During tympanoplasty, the eardrum is lifted up like a trap door. The surgeon then slips the repair material behind the eardrum. Then the eardrum is put back and patched from behind. The packing material that supports the graft dissolves over the next 2 to 3 months. During this period, the eardrum heals over the graft and returns to its normal appearance and when the packing is dissolved, hearing of the patient is restored to normal.

A typical tympanoplasty surgery may last for 1 to 2 hours.

Individuals who experience earaches should be examined by ear-nose-throat consultants. Sometimes holes in the eardrum are discovered. In some cases, the eardrum holes heal themselves but in other cases, this does not happen. If the hole is left open, the risk of getting more ear infections every time water gets in the ear is high. In such cases, the surgery is needed. 

Individuals who experience earaches should be examined by ear-nose-throat consultants. Sometimes holes in the eardrum are discovered. In some cases, the eardrum holes heal themselves but in other cases, this does not happen. If the hole is left open, the risk of getting more ear infections every time water gets in the ear is high. In such cases, the surgery is needed. 

No, it is not. Sometimes a physician can perform a tympanoplasty entirely through the ear canal without making a large incision in the back of the ear. However, many kids have small ear canals that are challenging to work through. Or, sometimes the perforation is very large and cannot be completely seen through the ear canal. In these cases, a larger incision is made behind the ear to increase the working space. Although a larger incision involves more healing and recovery, it considerably increases the operation's success in these more complex cases and when completely healed, the scar is hard to see and is well hidden from view by the outer ear.

There is a small risk that the patient's ear may bleed. A continuous discharge from the ear is also a significant indication of an infection that will need immediate medical attention. A rare development is a damage during the procedure of a small nerve that runs behind the eardrum. If this happens, the patient will experience some loss of taste and numbness on the side of the tongue.  Overall the success rate of this operation is about ninety. If the eardrum is badly scarred from previous infections this will lower the success rate of the operation.

The cost of tympanoplasty treatment in India varies across different cities and hospitals.