Recovery time for most patients is about 4 months. During this time many people will experience nighttime pain, stiffness, popping, catching, and feelings of tightness. All of that is normal! In fact, most people continue to experience symptoms for up to a year from the time of surgery.
Normal appearance of the tympanic membrane. (Figures 1, 2, and 3 courtesy of Janet Griffin, MD, Children's Hospital Medical Center of Akron, Ohio.) Acute otitis media with effusion. The tympanic membrane is injected but landmarks are still clearly visualized. Acute otitis media. The tympanic membrane is bulging and hyperemic, and yellow purulent fluid is seen in the middle ear space.
home / medterms medical dictionary a-z list / tympanic membrane definition Medical Definition of Tympanic membrane Tympanic membrane (eardrum): The eardrum, a thin membrane that serves as a partition between the external ear and the middle ear and transmits the motion of sound waves to the chain of bones in the middle ear.