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Perforated eardrum repair - myringoplasty, done properly.

A graft repair of the hole in your eardrum - endoscopically through the canal or via a small incision behind the ear. A consultant otologist, hearing tested before and after, and honest advice when waiting is the wiser move.

See indicative pricing
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Indicative pricing

What private eardrum repair costs in the UK.

Indicative ranges across our partner ENT units.

In short

£3,000–£5,000, home the same day.

Procedure Indicative range
Endoscopic myringoplasty (per ear) £3,000–£5,000
Microscopic myringoplasty (postaural approach) £3,500–£5,500
Cartilage tympanoplasty (larger or revision perforations) £4,000–£6,500
Tympanoplasty with ossicular reconstruction £5,500–£8,500
Fat-plug myringoplasty (small perforation, local anaesthetic) £1,800–£3,000
ENT consultation with microscopy and audiogram £250–£450
Follow-up audiometry £80–£150

Prices vary by hospital, by the consultant, by graft and approach, and by whether ossicular reconstruction is done at the same sitting. Combined tympanoplasty cases are always the top of the range. On the NHS, myringoplasty is available but routinely waits many months as a lower-priority elective.

The problem

The right timing, the right technique, and a result you can hear.

Eardrum repair is where ENT care quietly under-delivers - perforations operated on too early, wet ears grafted, hearing never formally re-tested. We fix all three before you consent.

  • Could it heal on its own?

    Fresh traumatic perforations usually close themselves. We only recommend surgery for holes that have proven they will not.

  • Dry the ear first

    Grafting a wet, infected ear fails far more often. Infection is treated and the ear settled before a theatre date is booked.

  • Measure the hearing, twice

    A formal audiogram before surgery and again once healed - so the gain is documented, and ossicular problems are found, not missed.

When it helps

When eardrum repair is the right step.

The situations we see most, plus the one red flag that means urgent ENT assessment rather than a routine appointment.

  • Perforation that will not heal

    Most traumatic perforations close themselves within weeks. One still open at 3–6 months is unlikely to - repair becomes the sensible route.

  • Recurrent ear discharge

    A perforated drum lets water and bacteria into the middle ear - repeated smelly discharge and infections are the classic story.

  • Hearing loss from the perforation

    A hole in the drum typically costs 10–30 dB of conductive hearing. Closing it usually recovers most of that.

  • After infection (chronic otitis media)

    A perforation left behind by middle-ear infection - the commonest reason for myringoplasty in the UK.

  • After trauma or barotrauma

    A slap, cotton bud, blast or diving injury that tore the drum and has not closed on its own.

  • After grommets

    A small persistent perforation at an old grommet site - often ideal for a fat-plug or endoscopic repair.

  • Swimmers and frequent flyers

    People who cannot keep the ear reliably dry, or who need pressure changes to be safe, often choose repair sooner.

  • Red flag: perforation with foul discharge and skin debris

    A perforation with persistent offensive discharge, deep retraction or visible debris may hide a cholesteatoma - that needs urgent ENT assessment, not a routine booking.

Procedure options

Approach and graft both depend on the perforation.

What each option involves - approach (endoscopic or microscopic), graft material (fascia, cartilage, fat), and whether the hearing bones need attention too.

  • Endoscopic myringoplasty

    Through the ear canal with a slim endoscope - no external cut for most perforations. Day-case, quick recovery, excellent view of the drum.

  • Microscopic (postaural) myringoplasty

    The traditional approach through a small incision behind the ear. Preferred for narrow canals, anterior perforations and revision surgery.

  • Temporalis fascia graft

    The workhorse graft - a sliver of the thin tissue above the ear, laid under the drum remnant. Take rates around 85–90 percent.

  • Cartilage (tragal) graft

    A firmer graft from the tragus. More robust for large, revision or poorly ventilated ears - at a small cost in drum flexibility.

  • Fat-plug myringoplasty

    A tiny plug of earlobe fat for small perforations - often done under local anaesthetic in under half an hour.

  • Underlay vs overlay technique

    Whether the graft sits under or over the drum remnant - a technical choice the surgeon makes for the perforation’s position and size.

  • Tympanoplasty with ossicular work

    If the hearing bones are eroded or fixed, the chain can be reconstructed at the same sitting - a bigger operation with its own counselling.

  • Watchful waiting

    Fresh traumatic perforations usually heal alone. Keeping the ear dry and reviewing at 6–12 weeks is often the right first move - we say so when it is.

Safety and recovery

What to expect afterwards - honestly.

Myringoplasty is a well-established, low-risk operation. The things worth planning are the timing, keeping the ear dry, and what the hearing can realistically gain.

  • Day-case surgery, GA or local

    Most repairs are under general anaesthetic and home the same day. Small perforations can be repaired under local. Someone should collect you either way.

  • Graft failure

    Around 10–15 percent of grafts do not fully take, more in smokers, large perforations and revision ears. A failed graft can usually be revised.

  • Hearing may not fully recover

    Most patients gain hearing, but if the ossicles are damaged or the middle ear is scarred, closure of the drum alone may not close the whole gap.

  • Taste disturbance and tinnitus

    The taste nerve (chorda tympani) runs behind the drum - temporary taste change on one side of the tongue is common, permanent change rare. Tinnitus can briefly worsen.

  • Dizziness and rare sensorineural loss

    Transient dizziness is common for a day or two. Permanent inner-ear hearing loss is rare - well under 1 percent - but is part of honest consent.

  • Infection and bleeding

    Minor spotting from the canal is normal. Spreading pain, fever or offensive discharge needs a same-day call, not a wait for the routine review.

  • Keep the ear dry

    Strict water precautions until the surgeon confirms the graft has healed - usually 4–6 weeks. No swimming, no submerging, cotton wool with Vaseline for showers.

  • No flying or heavy straining early on

    Most surgeons advise no flying for 2–4 weeks and no nose-blowing, heavy lifting or straining while the graft settles.

  • Red flags after surgery

    Severe vertigo, sudden deafness, facial weakness, fever or worsening severe pain need the same-day team or A&E, not a routine call.

Reading your operation note

Your operation note in four parts. Read the last one first.

Whichever approach was used - endoscopic or microscopic - the note the ENT surgeon sends you keeps to the same shape.

A UK consultant ENT surgeon reviewing a patient’s operation notes

A quiet reminder

Surgical language is precise and can read coldly - we translate it for you.

If you would like us to talk you through the operation note and the audiogram before your review, just ask.

  1. 01 Header

    Indication, side and approach

    Which ear, the size and position of the perforation, and whether the repair was endoscopic, permeatal or postaural.

  2. 02 Technique

    Graft and placement

    The graft used - fascia, cartilage, perichondrium or fat - underlay or overlay placement, and any ossicular findings.

  3. 03 Findings

    Middle ear status

    What the surgeon saw: the state of the middle-ear lining, the ossicular chain, and whether any cholesteatoma or unexpected disease was found.

  4. 04 Impression

    Aftercare, water precautions, hearing plan

    Read this first: when the packing comes out, how long to keep the ear dry, when to fly, and when the post-operative audiogram is due.

Recognised by major UK insurers

BupaAXA HealthVitalityAvivaWPACignaHealixBupaAXA HealthVitalityAvivaWPACignaHealixBupaAXA HealthVitalityAvivaWPACignaHealix

Myringoplasty is usually covered when there is a persistent perforation with hearing loss or recurrent infection.

Frequently asked

Everything we get asked about eardrum repair.

Quick answers on healing, success rates, hearing, cost and recovery.

  • What is the difference between myringoplasty and tympanoplasty?

    Myringoplasty repairs the eardrum alone. Tympanoplasty is the broader term - it includes repairing the drum and, where needed, the middle-ear hearing bones (ossicles) at the same sitting. Most simple perforations need only a myringoplasty.

  • Will a perforated eardrum heal on its own?

    Often, yes. Most fresh traumatic perforations close within a few weeks provided the ear is kept dry and infection-free. A perforation still open at three to six months is unlikely to close by itself - that is when surgical repair becomes the sensible option.

  • What are the success rates of myringoplasty?

    Around 85–90 percent of grafts take fully at the first attempt in experienced hands. Success is a little lower for very large perforations, anterior perforations, smokers and revision ears - cartilage grafting narrows that gap. A failed graft can usually be repaired again.

  • Will my hearing improve after the repair?

    Usually. A perforation typically causes 10–30 dB of conductive hearing loss and closing it recovers most of that. If the ossicles are eroded or the middle ear is scarred, drum repair alone may not close the whole gap - which is why we test hearing formally before and after.

  • How much does private eardrum repair cost in the UK?

    Roughly £3,000–£5,000 for an endoscopic myringoplasty, £3,500–£5,500 for a microscopic postaural repair, £4,000–£6,500 for cartilage tympanoplasty, and £1,800–£3,000 for a fat-plug repair of a small perforation under local anaesthetic.

  • How long is recovery, and when can I swim or fly?

    Most people are back to desk work within a week. The ear must stay strictly dry until the graft is confirmed healed - usually 4–6 weeks - and most surgeons advise no flying for 2–4 weeks and no swimming until sign-off. Full healing of the drum takes two to three months.

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