Indications for Surgery: Cancer of the ear canal, middle, or inner ear

Anesthesia: General

Surgical Time: 2-5 hours

Hospital Admission: small lesions may be treated as outpatients while larger resections require 2-5 day admission

Surgical Procedure: Cancer of the ear must be treated aggressively with removal of all of the abnormal growth and a margin of normal tissue. The amount of resection depends on the size of lesion. Small malignancies may be removed with removal of the ear canal only. Larger lesions require more tissue removal. Involved structures (such as nerves, blood vessels, or the inner ear) may need to be removed and reconstructed as well.

Miscellaneous: Other treatment modalities may be necessary for cancer cure. Chemotherapy may be necessary following surgery. Radiation following surgery is used in most cases. On some occasions, a new approach using radiation therapy in the operating room has given promising results.

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