What is a cholesteatoma?

Cholesteatoma is a type of benign (non-cancerous) skin growth that can occur in the middle ear (space behind the ear drum) or in the mastoid bone, which is located behind the ear. While it is considered a benign growth, it can still cause significant destruction to the ear, especially the bones around important structures inside the ear. Cholesteatoma surgery, also known as a tympanoplasty and/or mastoidectomy, is a procedure to remove the cholesteatoma and repair any damage it has caused to the ear. The surgery is performed under general anesthesia. The surgery involves making an incision inside the ear to access the middle ear and possibly another incision behind the ear to access the mastoid bone. The degree of growth of the cholesteatoma determines how much surgery is required to remove it. The surgery usually requires repair of any damage to the eardrum or ossicles (small bones in the middle ear) using tissue from the patient or a synthetic material. After surgery, the patient may need to rest and avoid certain activities to allow the ear to heal.