It is considered to be a salvage surgery that is done when no other treatment will work. This surgery will permanently remove the infected ear canal and allows the middle ear to be drained. It is usually a very good procedure for permanently resolving long standing and painful ear infections. In theory, this surgery, if performed on both sides, will make the dog near deaf because it removes the whole sound amplification system of the ear. However, most dogs are near deaf anyway before this surgery because of the extent of their ear disease, and most owners report that their dog can still hear, although not quite as well as normal, even if both ears are operated on.
Most dogs respond quickly to surgical treatments for ear disease.
The vertical canal ablation and lateral wall resection surgeries do sometimes require continued treatment of the ears, but the treatment is usually easier to perform and is needed less frequently. Many dogs do not require any treatment at all after these surgeries are performed and the active infection is brought under control. The key to successful vertical canal ablation and lateral wall resection is to perform the surgeries early, before a lot of damage has been caused to the ear by the infection. If the damage has reached a point where these two surgeries are not options, then total ear canal ablation is the treatment of choice. The preceding information was written by Dr. George Siemering and Dr. Dan Brehm.