In office repair of tympanic membrane perforations

Abstract

Tympanic membrane (TM) perforations commonly occur as a result of chronic ear infections, direct trauma or blast injuries, as seen in military and civilian populations following terror attacks. TM perforations result in considerable morbidity, including hearing loss, pain, recurrent infections and decreased quality of life. Repair of chronic TM perforations is typically performed in the operating room under general anesthesia. Recently developed techniques for TM repair afford the option to manage patients in the clinic setting. Herein we describe our endoscopic approach for in-office, awake TM repair and review patient selection, instrumentation, technique and postoperative management. We also discuss outcomes from a cohort study including closure rates, hearing outcomes and patient reported outcome measures. Tympanic membrane perforation, tympanoplasty,in-office ear surgery, endoscopic ear surgery