Overview on Mastoidectomy

A mastoidectomy is surgery to remove cells in the hollow, air-filled spaces in the skull behind the ear. These cells are called mastoid air cells. This surgery used to be a common way to treat an infection in mastoid air cells. In most cases, the condition was caused by an ear infection that spread to the bone in the skull. Mastoidectomy may be used to treat colesteatoma, complications of an ear infection (otitis media), infections of the mastoid bone that do not get better with antibiotics and to place a cochlear implant