Report From the Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Otolaryngology

Abstract

At the International Forum held during the annual meeting of the American Academy of Otolaryngology in Washington, DC, on September 16, 1992, Drs Granstrom and Tjellstrom, Goteborg, Sweden, recommended a new approach to the functional and cosmetic reconstruction of congential ear malformations. They introduced a combined bone-anchored hearing aid and auricular prosthesis. Results with the osseointegrated titanium, transcutaneous device in 156 mixed atretic ears demonstrated superior patient and physician satisfaction rates compared with traditional middle ear and auricular reconstructive techniques. Implant failure rate was 1.2% and does not preclude subsequent reconstructive attempts. Intraoperative nerve monitoring and a delicate, sharp excision has improved preservation of facial nerve function in the series of more than 1500 acoustic neuromas removed by Dr Jean-Marc Sterkers and colleagues, Paris, France. Switching from a hook to a Beaver 37/6700 blade for sharp dissection, combined with electromyographic monitoring, facial nerve preservation improved from 71% to 95% in