The efficacy of surgical treatment of Eustachian tube dysfunction in children with exudative otitis media

Abstract

In this study the authors evaluated the possibilities of the advanced surgical correction of Eustachian tube dysfunction in children with exudative otitis media, including the new method of treatment of persistent tube dysfunction – the balloon tuboplasty. The study is based on the data obtained in the process of examination and treatment of 190 patients with exudative otitis media aged from 3 to 13 years. It has been found that the main cause of chronic exudative otitis media was the obsturative dysfunction of Eustachian tube, related to the presence of degree 3–4 adenoid vegetations, degree 2 adenoid vegetations combined with the hypertrophy of Eustachian cushion cartilage tissue, degree 2 adenoid vegetations combined with the Eustachian tonsil hypertrophy, stenosis of Eustachian tube cartilage area in children. Based on the data obtained during the treatment session including the endoscopically controlled isolated adenotomy or isolated adenotomy in combination with myringotomy, tympanic cavity shunting, instrumental correction of Eustachian cushion, Eustachian tonsil destruction, the authors have drawn a concussion about efficacy of the treatment applied (84.7%), however, they have singled out a group of children with persistent Eustachian tube dysfunction who need the application of balloon tuboplasty method, which has proven a high efficacy in most patients (76%) of this study.