Hearing gain after tympanoplasty: a prospective study

Abstract

<p class="abstract"><strong>Background:</strong> The aim of the present study was to determine hearing improvement in different types of tympanoplasties by comparing mean preoperative air bone (AB) gap with mean postoperative AB gap. The study focused on reconstruction of tympanic membrane and ossicular apparatus by tympanoplasty alone or tympanoplasty with mastoid surgeries (canal wall up or canal wall down).</p><p class="abstract"><strong>Methods:</strong> 60 patients of either sex having chronic otitis media with conductive hearing loss of >20 dB were included in the study. Each patient had to undergo preoperative and postoperative pure tone audiometry to calculate average AB gap. Patients underwent tympanoplasty, with or without mastoid exploration depending on the disease status. Pure tone audiometry (PTA) was done at 3 months and 6 months and compared with pre-operative PTA. </p><p class="abstract"><strong>Results:</strong> Preoperatively PTA showed 29 (48.33%) patients had mild degree of hearing loss, followed by moderate degree of hearing loss in 18 (30.0%) patients. 10 (16.67%) patients had minimal hearing loss and moderately severe hearing loss was seen in 3 (5%) patients. Tympanoplasty alone was done in 52 patients (86.67%). Tympanoplasty with canal wall up mastoidectomy was done in 6 (10%) and tympanoplasty with canal wall down mastoidectomy was done in 2 (3.33%) patients. Type I tympanoplasty was performed in 37 (61.6%) patients, type-III tympanoplasty was the type of surgery in 15 (25.0%) patients. Type II and type IV tympanoplasties were performed in 4 (6.7%) patients each separately.</p><p class="abstract"><strong>Conclusions:</strong> Hearing gain is better in type I tympanoplasty than in tympanoplasty type II, type III and type IV with or without mastoid surgeries.</p><strong></strong>