公益財団法人田附興風会 医学研究所北野病院

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Hearing Loss and Tympanic Membrane Regeneration Center

To our patients

There are various causes of tympanic membrane perforation (a hole in the eardrum), but in cases where the tympanic cavity is dry and there is no active inflammation, it is considered desirable to close the hole as soon as possible. The greatest benefit of tympanic membrane closure is improved hearing. As long as the inner ear is not damaged and there are no particular lesions in the middle ear, hearing usually improves in all cases after tympanic membrane closure, which greatly contributes to improving QOL (Quality of Life).

Tympanic membrane regeneration therapy is a treatment pioneered worldwide by Shinichi Kanamaru, head of the Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery Department at our hospital and director of the Hearing Loss and Tympanic Membrane Regeneration Center. Since November 2019, this regenerative medicine has been covered by health insurance in Japan.

This treatment is a new method that utilizes regenerative medicine to close eardrum perforations that do not close naturally, without the usual surgical procedure, with a simple outpatient procedure that takes about 20 minutes. Our hospital has a track record of treating hundreds of cases, with a success rate of over 90% and an improvement in hearing in nearly all cases.

Video introducing tympanic membrane regeneration therapy

Treatment flow

First, the patient will be examined and tested to determine whether they are suitable for this treatment, and if the doctor determines that they are, they will proceed to the treatment below at a later date.Treatment does not begin at the first or second visit.note that.

Actual treatment details

Simple eardrum perforation

A simple eardrum perforation occurs when the eardrum is ruptured due to trauma (such as being poked with an ear pick or being slapped) without any previous otitis media or other condition, leaving a hole in the eardrum; this refers to a condition in which a hole appears in a normal eardrum that is not infected or inflamed.

In the case of a simple eardrum perforation, depending on the size of the perforation, treatment can be performed in an outpatient setting in about 20 minutes, as shown below, and hospitalization is not required.

Severe tympanic membrane perforation or tympanic membrane perforation accompanied by otitis media

If there is almost no eardrum remaining or if there is chronic otitis media, a full-scale surgery called traditional tympanoplasty is required, in which an incision is made behind the ear, the bone is scraped away, the entire middle ear is cleaned, and then tissue such as muscle membrane is harvested and transplanted from the patient's own body as a substitute for the eardrum.

In response to this, our hospital has developed a new treatment that applies eardrum regeneration. This involves removing most of the remaining eardrum, using an endoscope through the hole to clean the tympanic cavity (the space behind the eardrum), and then regenerating the eardrum. Unlike simple treatment for a perforated eardrum, this requires hospitalization for one or two nights, but the surgery time is short and the entire treatment is performed through the ear canal, leaving no scars whatsoever.

Tympanic membrane regeneration procedure

  1. Anesthesia for the perforated eardrum in the outpatient setting (an anesthetic cotton ball is placed in the ear and the patient waits for 20 to 30 minutes)
  2. Scratch the edge of the eardrum perforation
  3. Place a sponge with medicine over the perforated eardrum
  4. Secure the sponge with medical glue

Precautions after treatment

  1. Do not suck or bite your nose forcefully.
  2. When sneezing, do not cover your mouth with your hand; sneeze naturally.
  3. When bathing or washing your hair, cover your ears with cotton to prevent water from getting into them.
  4. You will be asked to come back to the outpatient clinic in three weeks, but if anything changes before then, please feel free to come back.

*If the wound does not close after one treatment, multiple treatments (up to a maximum of four) may be required, and there are also cases where the wound does not close even after this treatment.

How to get examined

How to get examined From other medical institutionsA letter of introduction and reservation are requiredIt is as follows.
How to make a reservation directly from another medical institution
  1. Please visit the ENT department at another medical institution where you are currently receiving treatment.
  2. When you visit, please ask for a referral letter as you would like to undergo tympanic membrane regeneration therapy at Kitano Hospital.
  3. Please also inform the medical institution where you visited that you would like them to make an appointment at Kitano Hospital directly.
  4. The medical institution where you visited will make an appointment with Kitano Hospital, so we will arrange a date and time for you to visit.
  5. Once the appointment date and time has been confirmed, please bring your referral letter with you to our hospital on the day.
How patients make their own reservations

Patients can make their own reservationsPlease refer to the page.

Contact Us Kitano Hospital, 2nd floor, Outpatient Block B

For media representatives

If you would like to interview Dr. Kanamaru,Please contact the Public Relations Department.

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