Ear Syringing or Microsuction?

 

We often get asked which is better the traditional ”syringing’ of the ear or the Microsuction technique. Below is a good comprehensive argument that Microsuction for many reasons is the gold standard for ear wax removal.

 

Impacted ear wax, leading to blocked ears and hearing loss as well as fullness and discomfort, is common.  It is estimated that just under a third of older people experience the problem. In the UK thousands of people every week have ear wax removed. The chances of wax accumulating are increased by use of external objects in the ear canal including hearing aids and cotton buds.  The traditional method of ear wax removal in most GP surgeries in the country is by irrigation (ear syringing).  In the past, large hand-held metal syringes were used to manually inject water at high pressure in the ear.  This was designed to flush out wax.  These manual syringes resulted in variable pressure of water injected into the external ear canal.  This caused large numbers of complications including external ear infections (Otitis externa), middle ear infections (Otitis media) as well as ear drum perforations.  Ear syringing is now performed using Ear irrigation machines which apply a safer, more standardised pressure via special ear irrigator tips.  Ear syringing/irrigation still results in rather a large number of complications.

 

Why is Ear Microsuction Better Than Ear Syringing?

There are a variety of reasons why Microsuction is superior compared to the traditional forms of wax removal (e.g. ear syringing or irrigation, ear drops).

Ear Microsuction is:

  • Safer
  • Faster
  • Better tolerated
  • More effective
  • Usually does not require weeks of waiting for drops to soften the wax. It may be performed on the same day you decide to book your appointment

 

Research data on ear syringing and other methods of ear wax removal

There is not much large scale data on the effectiveness of ear syringing.  The last large study on this subject was performed in 1990 (Sharp et al, BMJ, Dec 1990, v301, 1251) where 312 GPs serving a population of 650,000 patients were surveyed in Edinburgh with some interesting data on the process and complication rates of ear syringing:

  • 85 % of GP practices offer ear syringing but only around 19% of GPs actually perform the procedure – they usually delegate the procedure to practice nurses or healthcare assistants
  • Failure of ear wax removal occurred in 29% of cases
  • Otitis media and Otitis externa (middle and external ear infections respectively) occurred in 17% of cases
  • Ear drum perforation occurred in 15% of cases
  • Trauma to the external ear canal occurred in 11% of cases

A more recent systematic review (Cleg et al, Health Tech Assess, Jun 2010, 14 (28), 1-192) found limited good-quality evidence on the safety, benefits and costs of the different strategies of ear wax removal.

Expert opinion however is fairly consistent in terms of support for ear Microsuction as the safest method of ear wax removal, resulting in the lowest prevalence of complications.  No procedure is risk-free but ear Microsuction offers several advantages over syringing:

  • Microsuction may be used even in the presence of ear drum perforation
  • It is the only technique safe to use for wax/debris removal in the presence of an external or middle ear infection
  • Complication rates are vastly reduced in comparison with ear irrigation.

 

At The Devon ear clinic we only utilise ear Microsuction in order to remove ear wax or debris (i.e. we do not perform ear syringing or irrigation).  We are able to view the external ear canal under high magnification at all times during the procedure and also have the ability to utilise video-oto-endoscopes for even more detailed viewing.

Don’t try to dig ear wax out

Never attempt to dig out excessive or hardened earwax with available items, such as a paper clip, a cotton swab or a hairpin. You may push the wax farther into your ear and cause serious damage to the lining of your ear canal or eardrum.