Foreign Body in the Ear

Overview

A practical and surgical-minded approach to foreign bodies in the external auditory canal. This is not a “grab and pull” procedure. It is a precision decision: identify the object, protect the tympanic membrane, choose the correct instrument, make one excellent first attempt, and stop early when the risk becomes greater than the benefit. The goal is not simply to remove the object; the goal is to remove it without converting a simple canal foreign body into bleeding, edema, tympanic membrane perforation, ossicular trauma, or an avoidable general-anesthesia case.