If your eardrum is slow to heal, your doctor may refer you to an ear, nose, and throat specialist, who may place a patch over the eardrum. In some cases, you need surgery to repair a ruptured eardrum. It's an outpatient procedure that usually takes a couple of hours. During the surgery, the doctor will attach a piece of your own tissue to the eardrum to rebuild the eardrum. Surgery is most commonly used for large perforations, for perforations that involve the edges of the eardrum, or for ruptured eardrums caused by an ear infection.