Dizziness: Dizziness is common for a few hours following surgery. On rare occasions, dizziness is prolonged.
Hearing loss: In a very small number of patients, severe deafness can happen if the inner ear is damaged.
Tinnitus: Sometimes the patient may notice noise in the ear, in particular if the hearing loss worsens.
Facial paralysis: The nerve for the muscle of the face runs through the ear. Therefore, there is a slight chance of a facial paralysis. The facial paralysis affects the movement of the facial muscles for closing of the eye, making a smile and raising the forehead. The paralysis could be partial or complete. It
may occur immediately after surgery or have a delayed onset. Recovery can be complete or partial.
Reaction to ear dressings: Occasionally the ear may develop an allergic reaction to the dressings in the ear canal. If this happens, the pinna (outer ear) may become swollen and red. You should consult your surgeon so that he can remove the dressing from your ear. The allergic reaction should settle down after a few days.