Assessment of total middle ear reconstruction by patient survey correlated with clinical findings

Abstract

Objective: Our objective was to assess, by patient survey and clinical examination, the results of correctional total middle ear reconstruction of problematic mastoid cavities following radical or modified radical mastoidectomy. Setting: This study was performed in an academic tertiary referral center. Patients: The study consisted of a retrospective survey, using the modified hearing satisfaction scale, of 50 patients, who had undergone total middle ear reconstruction of their problematic mastoid cavities. The survey results were correlated with their postoperative clinical findings. Results: Postoperatively, 98% of these patients expressed satisfaction in terms of improvement of their preexisting otorrhea (median of 4.32 satisfied), 65% were satisfied with their hearing and 85% were satisfied with the overall of this operation. The survey results had a good correlation with the audiometric findings and the clinical findings, i.e. the surgery resulted in a dry ear in all 50 patients and 51% of these patients showed hearing improvement of more than 5 dBHL. Conclusions: This study indicates that most patients were satisfied with the outcomes of this operation. The patients’ point of view and the postoperative clinical data both indicate that total middle ear reconstruction is an excellent procedure for correcting problematic mastoid cavities following a radical or modified radical mastoidectomy. The hearing satisfaction scale is a useful instrument for assessing patient satisfaction following this surgical procedure.