Tympanoplasty is microsurgery ― surgery using a microscope or endoscope― to fix holes in the eardrum that do not heal on their own. The eardrum, also called the tympanic membrane, enables a person to hear by vibrating in reaction to sound. Wullstein Classification Tympanoplasty can be classified into five types, according to the Wullstein classification. Type I: repair of the TM alone; no middle ear abnormality. Type I tympanoplasty is synonymous with myringoplasty Type II: repair of the TM and middle ear; the malleus is eroded. Tympanoplasty involves grafting the TM to the incus Type III: repair of the TM onto the stapes head; the malleus and incus have a defect Type IV: the TM is grafted to the stapes footplate, which is movable Type V: repair involves the stapes footplate, which is fixed