Mastoid surgery is usually performed under general anaesthetic and can take up to 3 hours. The method used will depend on the level of infection and damage within your middle ear. Your surgeon will make an incision (cut) either behind your ear or just above your ear. They will remove the bone that is covering the infected area leaving the area (called the mastoid cavity) open.
steam noun [U]. B2 the âhot âgas that is âproduced when âwater âboils: Steam ârose from the âsimmering âstew. steam âturbines a steam âengine/âlocomotive the âage of steam (= the âperiod when steam âprovided âpower for ârailways and âfactories) The âpump is âdriven by steam.
1 A fire where the coal burns. 2  A boiler full of water that the fire heats up to make steam.  A cylinder and piston, rather like a bicycle pump but much bigger. Steam from the boiler is piped into the cylinder, causing the piston to move first one way then the other.