Tympanoplasty is a surgical technique to repair a defect in the tympanic membrane with the placement of a graft, either medial or lateral to the tympanic membrane annulus. The goal of this surgical procedure is not only to close the perforation but also to improve hearing. The eardrum is a small membrane at the end of the ear canal. A cut will be made in the skin above your ear. From inside this cut the surgeon will take a small, thin piece of tissue. This tissue is called a graft, and the surgeon will use it to seal up the hole in your ear drum. The simplest repair is called a myringoplasty. It works best with relatively small holes. In tympanoplasty, the surgeon slips the new tissue behind or on top of the hole in the eardrum. To hold the tissue in place, the surgeon packs a tiny wad of special material behind it. This material slowly dissolves over the next 2 to 3 months while the eardrum heals.