ENT, Head and Neck Surgery in Lagos
Mastoidectomy in Lagos for cholesteatoma and a discharging ear
A written all-in price after a consultation from ₦50,000 in Lagos, so you know the total before anything is booked.
How the price is set
Consultation, then a written price
From ₦50,000
Consultant ENT opinion
- The ENT surgeon and the anaesthetist
- Theatre time, the operating microscope and the drill
- Your bed and nursing care for the planned stay
- Medication while you are admitted
Your written price covers the lines above, agreed before you pay.
Mastoidectomy at Mezo Health in Lagos, Nigeria is priced in a written quote after a consultation from ₦50,000, because the right operation and its cost depend on what the surgeon finds. The quote covers the ENT surgeon and the anaesthetist, your bed and nursing care for the planned stay, and medication while you are admitted. Prices last checked 3 November 2026.
The mastoid is the honeycomb of bone behind the ear. A mastoidectomy opens it to remove disease that drops and antibiotics cannot clear, most often a cholesteatoma, a growth of skin behind the eardrum that slowly erodes the bone around it. The aim is a safe, dry ear first, and better hearing where the disease allows.
Also called: Mastoid surgery, Cholesteatoma surgery, Ear surgery for chronic discharge, Canal wall down mastoidectomy
Medically reviewed by Dr Debo Odulana
How the price is set
Written quote after consultation
Consultant ENT opinion: from ₦50,000
Your price is a written quote after the consultation, because the operation, the anaesthetic and the stay depend on what the surgeon finds. It does not move without your written agreement.
What your written quote covers
- The ENT surgeon and the anaesthetist
- Theatre time, the operating microscope and the drill
- Your bed and nursing care for the planned stay
- Medication while you are admitted
- Analysis of tissue removed
- Reviews and ear cleaning after the operation
Not in the quote
- The first consultation
- The hearing test and the CT scan that plan the operation
- A planned second look operation, quoted in writing before it is booked
- Hearing aids after surgery
What decides your quote
- How far the disease has spread
- Whether the eardrum and hearing bones are rebuilt in the same operation
- The length of the stay
- Complications found at surgery, such as infection near the brain or the balance organ
If an HMO is paying, the operation needs prior authorisation before admission. Bring your HMO number to the first consultation and the desk will start it. If the plan declines, you are told the cash price before anything is booked.
How we pick your surgeon
Every Mezo surgeon is MDCN verified and approved for this operation before they take a case. You meet them before you pay.
Is it right for you
Who this is for
A good fit
- Cholesteatoma, found on examination or scan
- An ear that has discharged for months despite drops and careful cleaning
- Infection spreading into the mastoid bone, after the emergency has been treated
- Disease behind the eardrum that is damaging hearing
When it is not the right answer
- Swelling, redness and pain behind the ear with fever, or a child who is drowsy, which is acute mastoiditis and needs a hospital today, not a booking
- A simple hole in the eardrum with no disease behind it, which is closed by a tympanoplasty
- Ear discharge that has not yet been treated with drops and cleaning
What happens
The pathway, step by step
- 1
Consultation with an ear microscope₦50,000
The ear is cleaned and examined, and the surgeon looks for cholesteatoma.
- 2
A hearing test and a CT scan
To see how far the disease reaches and how much hearing is affected.
- 3
A written price
The operation, the anaesthetic and the stay, in writing, before admission.
- 4
The operation
Two to four hours under general anaesthetic, usually through a cut behind the ear.
- 5
A night or two in hospital
A head bandage, pain relief and checks of the face and balance.
- 6
Follow-up for years₦25,000
Cholesteatoma can return, so the ear is checked regularly, and some people need a planned second operation.
Afterwards
Recovery, realistically
First days
A head bandage, some pain and dizziness. Most people go home within one to two days.
Weeks 1 to 2
Stitches out, and the ear kept dry. Back to light work or school as you feel able.
Weeks 2 to 6
Packing removed. Avoid swimming and flying until the surgeon says so.
The long term
Regular ear checks. If the ear was left with an open cavity, it needs cleaning in the clinic now and then.
Risks you should be told about
- Cholesteatoma coming back, which is why follow-up matters
- Hearing getting worse on that side
- Dizziness, usually temporary
- Taste change on one side of the tongue
- Ringing in the ear
- Weakness of the face on that side, rare in experienced hands
Every operation carries risk. A surgeon who lists none is not being straight with you. Yours will go through these with you before you consent.
Questions people ask
Is cholesteatoma cancer?
No. It is a growth of skin in the wrong place. But it slowly destroys the bone around it and can cause serious infection, so it needs removing rather than watching.
Can drops cure cholesteatoma?
No. Drops can dry the discharge for a while, but the cholesteatoma stays and keeps growing. Surgery is the treatment.
Will I hear better after the operation?
Sometimes. The first aim is a safe, dry ear. Hearing may improve, stay the same or, in some cases, get worse, and the surgeon tells you which is likely before you decide.
Medically reviewed by Dr Debo Odulana, Founder and Chief Executive, Mezo. Last reviewed . This page is general information, not a diagnosis. Care is decided with you after an examination.
Sources and further reading
The guidelines and patient information this page is checked against. Care in Nigeria follows the same evidence; what differs is the price and where it is done.
- Cholesteatoma. NHS. Patient information.
- Mastoiditis. NHS. Patient information.
Links last checked 3 November 2026.
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Prices shown are in naira and were last checked on 3 November 2026. A “from” price is the all-in starting price for the standard case. Every operation is confirmed in a written quote after your consultation, because the right operation for you, and its cost, depend on what the surgeon finds.