Myringotomy children, while local anesthesia suffices for adults. The ear is washed and a small incision made in the eardrum. Any fluid that is present is then aspirated, the tube of choice inserted, and the ear packed with cotton to control any slight bleeding that might occur. This is known as conventional (or "cold knife") myringotomy and usually heals in one to two days. A new variation (called "tympanolaserostomy" or "laser-assisted tympanostomy") uses CO laser, and is performed with a computer-driven laser and a video monitor to pinpoint a precise location for the hole. The laser takes one tenth of a
Pfannenstiel incision Hermann Johannes Pfannenstiel (1862–1909), a German gynecologist who invented the technique, in 1900. In the United Kingdom, the incision was popularised by Dr. Monroe Kerr, who first used it in 1911, so in English speaking countries it is sometimes called the Kerr incision or the Pfannenstiel–Kerr incision. Kerr published the results in 1920, proposing that this method would cause less damage to the vascularized areas of uterus than the classical operation. He claimed that it was better than the longitudinal uterine incision in terms of chances for scar rupture and injury to vessels. Pfannenstiel incision A Pfannenstiel incision , Kerr