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.
The outer layer consists of a thin layer of skin, the middle layer is made of fibrous tissue and the inner layer is mucosa (similar to the tissue in the mouth and nose). The tympanic membrane is secured to the sidewalls of the end of the outer ear canal by a thick band of tissue called the tympanic ring or annulus.