Tympanoplasty Type Research Articles

Outcomes of Type-1 Tympanoplasty with and without use of Topical Nasal Steroids; a Comparative Study

Objective: To compare the outcome of Type-1 tympanoplasty procedure in patients given intranasal steroids post-operatively versus those not given intranasal steroids after procedure. Study Design: Quasi-Experimental study. Place and Duration of Study: Combined Military Hospital, Rawalpindi. Pakistan from May 2021 to May 2023. Methodology: A total of 464 patients, 232 of which were given intranasal steroids (Group-A), and 232 who were not given intranasal steroids (Group-B) were made part of this research. Upon inclusion, all pre-operative demographics were documented. Patients in post-operative follow up period were assessed for condition of tympanic membrane and improvement of hearing ability. Results: In current study, post-operatively, in patients who were given intranasal steroids, graft take-up frequency was 227(97.84%) and residual perforation was 5(2.16%) was better than in patients who were not given intranasal steroids, which came to 224(96.55%) and 8(3.45%), respectively (p=0.399). In terms of post-operative WHO grade of hearing impairment distribution (p<0.001) and post-op hearing status (p=0.005) difference between patients who were given intranasal steroids and those not given intranasal steroids was statistically significant. Conclusion: Addition of intranasal steroid spray to the treatment regimen following tympanoplasty is provides better outcomes in terms of higher graft take-up frequency and an improvement in hearing from preoperative levels.

Risk of hearing loss in the opposite ear after tympanomastoidectomy.

The definitive treatment for chronic suppurative otitis media is surgery. Surgical technique and procedure varies according to individual case findings and pathology and may require mastoidectomies in which the canal wall is preserved or lowered to eradicate disease from mastoid air cells. Surgical treatment of chronic middle ear disease carries a risk of damage to the inner ear. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the noise produced by the tour system following chronic ear surgery causes sensorineural hearing loss, a condition for which not many studies have been published in the literature. The study consisted of a total of 49 patients with type I, type II and type III canal wall preservation and 62 patients with tympanoplasty with canal wall preservation and lowering. Bone and air thresholds were compared before and after middle ear surgery. Changes in bone and air thresholds were compared according to the type of tympanoplasty. In the ICW-I, ICW-II and ICW-III tympanoplasties, and in the ICW and CWD tympanoplasties, the preoperative and postoperative values of the opposite ear hearing measurements were performed, and did not differ according to the type of surgery. There is no correlation drilling duration and hearing for the opposite ear. The prevention of postoperative sensorineural hearing loss depends on multiple factors, and assessing the magnitude of hearing loss in relation to these factors is important in determining the success of the surgery.

Open-type cholesteatoma is the predictive factor for residual disease in congenital cholesteatoma treated with TEES

ObjectiveTo determine the predictive factors for residual disease occurring after surgical removal of congenital cholesteatomas and whether these predictive factors differ between microscopic ear surgery (MES) using data from the literature and transcanal endoscopic ear surgery (TEES) using data from our own institution. MethodsTwenty-three patients with a congenital cholesteatoma who underwent surgical treatment at Yamagata University Hospital between December 2011 and December 2017 were retrospectively investigated. We divide TEES into three different approaches: non-powered TEES, powered TEES and dual MES/TEES. Main outcome measures were Potsic stage, closed or open congenital cholesteatoma type, TEES surgical approach, appearance of residual disease, tympanoplasty type and hearing outcome. ResultsA logistic regression analysis was conducted on the Potsic stage, closed or open type, TEES surgical approach and age to obtain the odds ratio for residual disease. The chance of residual disease significantly increased in the presence of an open-type congenital cholesteatoma (odds ratio: 30.82; 95 % confidence interval: 1.456–652.3; p = 0.0277), but not for any of the other factors including Potsic stage. The timing of the confirmation of residual disease after ossicular chain reconstruction was analyzed using a Kaplan-Meier analysis. The residual disease rate was significantly higher with an open-type congenital cholesteatoma (log-rank test, p < 0.05). In addition, all residual disease occurred within three years after surgery. ConclusionsOur results showed that an open-type congenital cholesteatoma is the strongest predictive factor for residual disease when removing a congenital cholesteatoma by TEES.

Endoscopic ear surgery in the treatment of chronic otitis media with atelectasis.

Atelectasis otitis media (AtOM) is a chronic condition where the tympanic membrane (TM) becomes retracted towards the middle ear and the ossicular chain. Surgical treatment for this condition could be indicated based on stage of atelectasis, patient's clinical condition and hearing loss. Over the years, AtOM has been treated with various types of tympanoplasty under microscopic view. The aim of this study is to present the results of endoscopic ear surgery in AtOM. Forty-five patients who underwent endoscopic trans-canal tympanoplasty were included in the study. Preoperative features, intraoperative findings and postoperative outcomes were collected. Preoperatively, none of the study's patients were classified with a Sadè Grade I, whereas grades II, III and IV were 3 (6.6%), 23 (32.1%) and 19 (67.8%) respectively. The 3 patients with Sadè grade II showed a conductive hearing loss higher than 20dB and a continuous ear fullness, therefore they were surgically treated. The postoperative graft success rate was estimated at 95.5%. During follow-up, 2 patients showed a TM perforation (at 6 and 12months after surgery) whereas 1 patient experienced a recurrence of atelectasis in the TM (16months after surgery). The overall success rate at the final follow-up was calculated at 88.8%. The average preoperative air-conduction threshold was 51.1 ± 21.5, which reduced to 34.6 ± 22.1 (p = 0.04) at follow-up. The preoperative air-bone gap decreased from 28 ± 7.2 to 11.8 ± 10 (p = 0.002) after surgery. Atelectasis otitis media might be suitable for exclusive endoscopic surgical treatment, as it appears to exhibit a low recurrence rate and promising audiological outcomes.

Tympanic Cavity Packing in Tympanoplasty Type 1: A Meta-Analysis.

Packing of tympanic cavity is generally considered an essential step in myringoplasty. However, each packing material comes with one or another side effect. The objective of this meta-analysis was to compare the results of Type 1 myringoplasty with or without packing. Pubmed, Cochrane database, Embase, Google Scholar, and clinicaltrials.gov were searched using 'tympanoplasty or myringoplasty and packing' as the search query. All RCTs / quasi-RCTs comparing tympanoplasty Type 1 with packing (control) versus without packing (intervention) of tympanic cavity in the human population were included. For dichotomous and continuous outcomes, relative risks (RR) and mean differences (MD) were calculated with 95% confidence interval, respectively. Heterogeneity was assessed using I2 statistics. Publication bias was checked using funnel plot and Egger's test, if applicable. Quality of evidence was assessed for each outcome using GRADE approach. Eleven studies were deemed eligible. For graft uptake and functional success rate, RR of 1.01 and 1.05 were obtained, respectively, showing no significant differences between the intervention and control groups. At 1st and 3rd postoperative month, no-packing group showed 3.86 dB and 2.08 dB better air-bone gap (ABG) closure than the packing group, respectively. Also, intervention with no-packing was 9.28-minute shorter procedure. With RR 0.35, no-packing had significantly lesser postoperative aural fullness. Type 1 tympanoplasty performed with or without packing show comparable results in terms of graft uptake and functional success rate. However, if performed without packing, it takes shorter time, provides early hearing improvement and causes less aural fullness. Key Words: Tympanoplasty Type 1, Packing, Gelfoam, No-packing, Meta-analysis, Endoscopic myringoplasty.

Outcomes of endoscopic modified cartilage-perichondrium tympanoplasty on different sized perforations

ObjectivesTo evaluate the anatomic and functional outcomes of type1 tympanoplasty with endoscopic modified butterfly cartilage-perichondrium technique. MethodsIn our modification, perichondrium was elevated circumferentially till the attached part of the composite graft was approximately same size and shape of the perforation, cartilage was trimmed based on the perforation but 0.5 mm larger. Cartilage portion of the graft was placed medial to the edge of the perforation, then perichondrium was rolled out and draped on the circumferential raw surface of remaining tympanic membrane around. ResultsAt 4 months postop, the anatomic integrity rate of the tympanic membrane perforation for small & medium sized perforation and large sized perforation group were 100 % and 94 % (p > 0.05). For the small & medium perforation group, the mean pre and 4 months postop ACs were 30 ± 8 dB and 18 ± 6.4 dB (p < 0.01). The mean pre and 4 months postop ABGs were 19 ± 11 dB and 9 ± 3 dB (p < 0.01). For the large perforation group, the mean pre and 4 months postop ACs were 43 ± 12.5 dB and 21.5 ± 7 dB (p < 0.01). The mean pre and 4 months postop ABGs were 34 ± 8.5 dB and 12.5 ± 6 dB (p < 0.01). The differences of mean 4 months postop ACs and mean 4 months postop ABGs between the two groups were not significant (p > 0.05). ConclusionsCompared to the conventional inlay butterfly cartilage tympanoplasty technique, large or marginal perforations can be sealed more securely by this modification.

Study of Anatomical Results and Hearing Improvement in Various Types of Tympanoplasty Using Conchal Cartilage.

This study was undertaken for study of anatomical results and hearing improvement in various types of tympanoplasty using conchal cartilage. A total of 100 patients were taken for this study the patients belongs to varying age groups from 1st to 6th decade of life.Maximum patients were in between age group 21 to 30 years, 37 (37%) patients and minimum 02(2%) between age group 51 to 60 years. Out of these an overall average gain of 13.33dB in PTA(pure tone audiometry) as well as ABG(air bone gap) was seen however an overall average deficit of 32.15dB in PTA as well as 16.43dB in ABG was seen. The tympanoplasty performed were with or without any additional surgeries of mastoid like Cortical, Atticotomy, CWW, MRM.The pre and post ABG was mainstay for each of our case and final anatomical result of graft uptake.

Comparison of the Efficacy of Endoscopic Tympanoplasty and Microscopic Tympanoplasty

Objective of this study is to compare the endoscopic tympanoplasty (ET) and microscopic tympanoplasty (MT) regarding graft uptake, hearing improvement and cost effectiveness. The total number of patients included in the study was 68 full filling inclusion and external criteria. The total number of patients included in the study was 68, among these 50 were males and 18 were females. Mean age was 44 years. Disease was seen in right ear in 43 patients and in the left ear in 35 patients. The main procedure performed was Tympanoplasty Type 1with underlay technique. Patients were divided into two groups, MT (A) and ET (B), each of this was further divided into Tympanoplasty with Cortical Mastoidectomy (A1, B1) and Tympanoplasty without Cortical Mastoidectomy (A2, B2). Among each type, the graft was either taken from Temporalis Fascia (TF); (A1f, A2f, B1f, B2f) or from the tragal cartilage (TC); (A1c, A2c, B1c, B2c). The success rate was determined by average hearing improvement and graft uptake. According to the results, MT with Cortical Mastoidectomy had success rate of 100% and MT without Cortical Mastoidectomy had success rate of 80% (with TF, the success rate is 75% and with TC, it is 100%). ET with Cortical Mastoidectomy had success rate of 100% and ET without Cortical Mastoidectomy had success rate of 85% (with TC). Total number of patients in which tympanoplasty was done with cortical mastoidectomy (all wet ears) was 46. The results were extraordinary and graft uptake was 100%. Total number of patients who underwent tympanoplasty without cortical mastoidectomy, (all dry ears) was 22. Results were only 81.8%. It was found that patients with ET and TF, were more satisfied with the scar as it became invisible in 2 months. The scar was cosmetically unacceptable in patients having undergone cortical mastoidectomy along with either ET or MT with use of TF graft.

Correlation between Clinical and Audiological Factors with Ossicular Chain Continuity in Chronic Otitis Media

Introduction: Chronic otitis media (COM) with the perforation of the tympanic membrane, myringoplasty is preferred treatment, but if ossicles are involved, myringoplasty is done with ossiculoplasty which is termed as tympanoplasty. Preoperative assessment of ossicular status is important to decide the type of tympanoplasty. Ossicular chain continuity is generally seen in the patient who has short duration of disease and smaller air–bone gap. Our study was conducted to support the relationship between preoperative clinical, audiological, and other factors in relation to the ossicular chain status. Materials and Methods: This was a prospective, cross-sectional study conducted at a tertiary care center, for 2-year duration (November 2019 to November 2021), on 100 patients who presented with COM (mucosal type). Preoperative diagnosis and assessment based on the clinical examination and investigations were compared with operative findings. Results: Thirty percent of the patients had ear discharge duration &lt;1 year, 28% had 1–5 years, and 18% patients had 6–10-year duration. Hearing loss was present in 80% of the cases. Correlation of pure-tone average (PTA) with ossicular chain status was significant with P = 0.028. The majority of patients were in the moderate category 31% and 19.36% of patients had ossicular chain defect. The second common category was mild hearing loss (24%), of which 4.17% of patients showed ossicular chain defect. Conclusion: Maximum percentages of patients with severe hearing loss had ossicular chain discontinuity followed by profound hearing loss. Most of cases had moderate to moderately severe conductive hearing loss in PTA. As the air–bone gap increases, the possibility of ossicular discontinuity increases.

Ossicular Reconstruction With Various Degrees of Malleus Preservation in Patients With Chronic Otitis Media.

Objective: We examined the relationship between factors of middle ear conditions and the outcome of ossiculoplasty in chronic otitis media (COM) by measuring the improvement in the air-bone gap (ABG) and air conduction threshold (TAC). Methods: This retrospective study analyzed 76 patients (77 ears) who underwent ossiculoplasty from among 520 COM patients who underwent tympanoplasty based on the maximum preservation of the original ossicles. The reconstructed ossicular chain was performed by preserving or utilizing the remaining malleus in all cases with the presence of the malleus manubrium. Patients with eardrum adhesion, cholesteatoma, and cholesterol granuloma were defined as having a compromised middle ear condition (Group A), and those without as having an uncompromised middle ear condition (Group B). In each group, pure-tone audiometry was performed preoperatively and postoperatively, and improvements in the ABG and TAC were compared. The effects of the types of tympanoplasty and the method of ossiculoplasty (columella versus incus interposition) on postoperative ABG and TAC were also compared. Results: The postoperative ABG improvement in Group B was significantly higher than that in Group A [β = 7.31, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.93-12.69, P < .05]. Type III minor columella tympanoplasty yielded significantly better results than type III major and type Vb tympanoplasty (β = 11.42, 95% CI = 5.16-17.68, P < .01). There were no significant differences in the postoperative ABG or TAC between the reconstruction groups with and without preservation of malleus. Conclusions: Our results indicate that complex cases compromised by adhesions, cholesteatoma, and cholesterol granuloma have worse outcomes regarding hearing improvement and success rates, while those with intact stapes suprastructure have better outcomes. Malleus was maximally preserved in the patients of this study; however, this showed no significant prognostic benefit in hearing.

To Study the Outcome of Cartilage Tympanoplasty Type I in Patients with Medium and Large Perforations Using 0.5mm Sliced Conchal Cartilage Reinforced with Temporalis Fascia Grafts with 5 Years Follow-up.

To study the outcome of cartilage tympanoplasty type I in patients with medium and large perforations using 0.5mm sliced conchal cartilage reinforced with temporalis fascia grafts with 5 years follow-up. Retrospective clinical study. 120 patients with dry tympanic membrane perforation medium and large size and intact ossicular chain, and with no history of previous ear surgery were selected. An underlay type one tympanoplasty, using 0.5mm sliced conchal cartilage reinforced with temporalis fascia, was performed during 2018-19. A successful anatomical outcome was considered to comprise full, intact healing of the graft without perforation these patients were evaluated for at least 5 years post-operatively till 2023. In this study graft uptake rate was 95.33% for medium size and 93.66% for large perforations at 3 months and after 5 years of follow-up 92.77% medium size and large size perforations were 89.67.66% (P < 0.001). Residual perforations were there in about 7.29% in medium and 10.33% in large size perfrations. Sliced conchal cartilage reinforced with temporalis fascia is a reliable technique for tympanoplasty, with improved graft uptake results in medium and large perforations in the long-term, also the residual perforations is significantly lower.

The outcome of type I tympanoplasty in patients with chronic otitis media

Background. Tympanoplasty type 1 is a reconstruction of tympanic membrane perforation with an examination of the middle ear to ensure normality. Aim. Assess the effect of the age of the patient, site, and size of tympanic membrane perforation on hearing gain and graft uptake in patients with chronic otitis media. Patients and method. Thirty patients with type 1 tympanoplasty aged between 10 years and 50 years. Patients had been submitted for audiological tests and examination pre-operatively and at 1, 3 and 6-month intervals postoperatively. Results. Improvement was 57% in 10-25 years, 59% in 25-40 years, and 56% in 40-50 years. While graft uptake was 90% in the three groups. Hearing improvement in anterior perforation was (60%), ost. perforation (41.5%), inferior perforation (43%). While the take rate is 100% in the post, perforation, 80% in anterior perforation and 83.3% in inferior perforation, hearing gain was 40% in large perforation, 66% in medium size and 77% in small size. While the take rate in small perforation was 100%, in medium perforation 90% and large perforation 80%. About 70% of patients had closure of the air-bone gap to within 15 dB and 83 % to within 20 dB. Conclusion. Age had no impact on hearing gain and graft uptake. Size of perforation affects hearing gain and graft uptake where they are better in small and medium size perforation than large perforation. The site of perforation affects hearing gain and graft uptake where hearing gain was better in anterior perforation, while graft up was better in posterior perforation.

To detach or not to detach the umbo in type I tympanoplasty: functional results.

To compare the audiological outcomes, tympanic membrane (TM) healing rates and complication rates in patients undergoing endoscopic underlay and over-under tympanoplasty type I (TTI). The study includes 95 patients who underwent endoscopic TTI in the period between 2018 and 2023: 56% of the patients had the underlay technique and 41% had the over-under technique. Data regarding pre- and postoperative hearing, perforation characteristics, surgical procedures, graft types and complications were retrospectively analyzed. Audiometrical assessment included air conduction (AC) and bone conduction (BC) pure tone averages (PTA) and air-bone gap (ABG), pre- and postoperatively. Both underlay and over-under techniques significant improved AC PTA, with a mean ABG improvements of 5.9 dB and 7.2 dB, respectively. There was no significant difference in BC PTA between pre- and post-operative, indicating no inner ear damage in both techniques. The over-under technique showed a significantly higher TM closure rate (94.4%) compared to the underlay technique (80.6%). Complications were rare, with only one case of TM lateralization requiring revision surgery. Endoscopic TTI is an effective treatment in improving auditory function in chronic middle ear diseases. In our cohort, the detachment of the umbo does not negatively influence the postoperative hearing results and does not increase rate of complications. Moreover, the over-under technique demonstrates superior TM closure rates, making it a valuable option for specific cases. However, future prospective studies with larger sample sizes and longer term follow-up are needed to validate these findings and provide more comprehensive insights.

Surgical and Audiological outcomes of Wet versus Dry Temporalis Fascia Graft in Type 1 Tympanoplasty

Objectives: Evaluate the surgical success and postoperative hearing outcome of type 1 tympanoplasty using temporalis fascia graft in its wet versus its dry fashion.&#x0D; Methods: A prospective randomized comparative study which was conducted in Sulaimanyah otorhinolaryngology &amp; head and neck surgery centre between October 2018 and November 2019 on patients with sign and symptom of tympanic membrane perforation who underwent type1 tympanoplasty in 2 groups in whom wet graft used in one group, and dry graft used in the other group, these patient followed up after 3 month for graft take and postoperative hearing.&#x0D; Results: Of the 29 patients included in the study in 15 of them dry graft used and the graft take was 86.7% and in 14 of the wet graft used and the take rate was78.6%, postoperative mean hearing gain was 14.07 dB in the dry graft group and 12 dB in the wet graft group, all cases in both group had improvement in hearing (P value= 0.001), but neither wet nor dry was better than the other (P value=0.345). Graft take and hearing gain in different site and size of perforations were not significant, graft take rate was 100% in small size and 50% in subtotal perforation, hearing gain was 14.50 dB for subtotal perforation and 9.50 dB in small size perforation, mean time of wet graft group with 75.36 minutes were shorter significantly than the dry graft with 95 minutes with (P value=0.001).&#x0D; Conclusion: The Nature of the temporalis fascia not affect the outcome type 1 tympanoplasty, and temporalis fascia is a good graft material regarding the success rate and hearing gain, however the wet Temporalis fascia graft use may shorten the operation time.

Full-thickness versus sliced cartilage in type I tympanoplasty, comparative study

IntroductionThe use of cartilage in type I tympanoplasty is associated with concern about a poor audiological outcome. Slicing the cartilage could be a tool to overcome such a feared problem.ObjectiveTo compare the healing and hearing outcomes of using sliced cartilage to full-thickness cartilage in type I tympanoplasty.MethodsSeventy patients with small to medium-sized central dry tympanic membrane perforation were included in this prospective study. The patients were randomly assigned to one of these two groups: group A: full-thickness cartilage tympanoplasty was done, and group B: partial thickness cartilage tympanoplasty was done. The assessment of healing and hearing was done at 3 and 12 months postoperatively.ResultsThe healing was achieved in 88.2% and 90.9% in group A and group B, respectively. In group A, the mean ABG was 23.44 dB preoperatively and 14.2 dB, and 12.6 dB in the first and second follow-ups, respectively. In group B, preoperative ABG was 23.58 dB compared to 7.9 dB and 6.93 dB in the two follow-ups, respectively. The results were significantly better in group B rather than group A at both follow-ups.ConclusionHearing results are better when sliced cartilage is used in tympanoplasty type I than full-thickness cartilage.

“Swinging door” technique of tympanomeatal flap incision-elevation in type I tympanoplasty: observations, outcomes and the outlook

Tympanoplasty Type 1 is a surgical procedure aimed at repairing tympanic membrane perforations. The swinging door technique for raising the tympanomeatal flap has gained popularity due to its potential advantages, including reduced trauma to the ear canal and improved postoperative outcomes. This paper presents a retrospective analysis of 25 patients who underwent Type 1 Tympanoplasty using the swinging door technique with a single 9 o'clock /3 o’clock incision. The study evaluates the surgical success rates, audiological outcomes, and complications associated with this modified approach.

Success rates and predictors of outcomes of type I tympanoplasty performed by residents in a teaching tertiary hospital

Several technical variations of tympanoplasty have been reported, usually involving the type of graft and/or instruments used. Few studies have focused on the outcome of type-1 tympanoplasty specifically in teaching scenarios. We aimed to describe the results of type-1 tympanoplasty performed by residents, and to investigate potential predictive factors of surgical success. To do so, we did a retrospective analysis of medical records of patients who underwent type-1 tympanoplasty in a tertiary university hospital. We evaluated the tympanic membrane closure and audiometric outcomes during the first year of follow-up, and compared the results according to some clinical and surgical factors. 130 operated ears were included in the study. The closure rate reached 84.12% after one month and 72.72% after twelve months of surgery. The mean air-bone gap was 22.98 dB preoperatively, and reached 10.55 dB after surgery. Perforation closure rates were 85% and 57.14% for those operated by endoscopic and microscopic-assisted approaches, respectively (p = 0.004). The use of cartilage grafts and time without otorrhea of more than three months prior to surgery were also predictors of surgical success (p = 0.002 and 0.041, respectively). Gender, age, perforation size, contralateral disease, operated side, reoperation, and degree of hearing loss did not significantly interfere with outcomes. Tympanoplasty showed good overall results when performed by residents, although inferior to those reported by experienced surgeons. The use of the endoscope, cartilage grafting, and longer preoperative time without otorrhea were predictors of surgical success in this scenario. Level of evidenceIIB.

Prophylactic antibiotics has no benefit for outcome in clean myringoplasty-A register-based cohort study from SwedEar.

To investigate if prophylactic antibiotics (PA) in conjunction with myringoplasty of clean and uninfected ears entails a reduction of postoperative infections within 6 weeks after surgery, and whether it affects the healing rate of the tympanic membrane (TM) at follow-up, 6-24 months after surgery. A retrospective cohort study of prospectively collected data. Data extracted from The Swedish Quality Register for Ear Surgery (SwedEar), the years 2013-2019. All patients in SwedEar with a registered clean conventional myringoplasty (tympanoplasty type I) including a follow-up visit. The effect of PA use on TM healing rate at follow-up and postoperative infection within 6 weeks of surgery. In the study group (n = 1665) 86.2% had a healed TM at follow-up. There was no significant difference between the groups that had PA administered (87.2%) or not (86.1%). A total of 8.0% had a postoperative infection within 6 weeks. Postoperative infection occurred in 10.2% of the group that received PA (n = 187) compared with 7.7% of the group that did not receive PA. However, this difference was not statistically significant. Postoperative infection within 6 weeks significantly lowered the frequency of healed TMs. PA administered during clean conventional myringoplasty does not improve the chance of having a healed TM at follow up, nor decrease the risk of having a postoperative infection within 6 weeks after surgery.

Hearing outcomes in pediatric tympanoplasty and factors affecting surgical outcomes in the current era.

Type-1 tympanoplasty continues to be the treatment of choice for tympanic membrane perforations resulting from chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM) in children, which is a principal cause of correctable hearing loss in the pediatric population. There is an ongoing debate about the surgical success rate, the factors affecting success as well as the best intervention time for this population group. This study assessed the outcome of Type-1 tympanoplasty in children in terms of 1) graft uptake and 2) hearing improvement as assessed by audiology. The study involved 40 patients aged 6 to ≤14 years suffering from tubotympanic chronic suppurative otitis media. The patients in the study had a central perforation of the pars tensa of the tympanic membrane. Pre-op investigations included Pure tone audiometry, Eustachian tube function test and nasopharyngeal x-ray. Type-1 tympanoplasty was performed on all patients. They were followed up at end of two months, six months, and one year postoperatively to assess surgical success and hearing outcomes. Overall graft uptake and the surgical success rate was 80%. Postoperatively air-bone gap closure up to 5dB was achieved in 62.5% of patients at the end of one year. A normal type A tympanometry curve was achieved in 75% of patients. There was a significant reduction in hearing handicap. The best results were obtained in the 9-10 years age group. Tympanoplasty has a high success rate in children. There is a significant improvement in hearing post-surgery. There is a minimal impact of traditionally believed confounding factors. Considering the positive impact of improved hearing and reduced hearing disability, the authors suggest that surgeons should take young children up for tympanoplasty.

Our Experience of Comparison of Hearing Outcomes in Patients Undergoing Type-1 Tympanoplasty with Different Graft Materials.

The present study was undertaken to compare the results of various autogenous tissues: temporalis fascia, sliced tragal cartilage and fascia lata as graft materials for type I tympanoplasty in terms of hearing improvement in safe type of chronic suppurative otitis media. A total of 75 cases with central perforation were considered in the study. Of the 75 cases, temporalis fascia graft was used in 25 cases (Group-A), fascia lata graft in 25 cases (Group-B), and sliced tragal cartilage graft in 25 cases (Group-C). The results were evaluated in the form of hearing improvement with respect to the graft materials. A significant association was observed between the groups, that is, temporalis fascia (Group-A), fascia lata (Group-B), and sliced tragal cartilage (Group-C) in terms of improvement in AB gap (P = 0.047). Improvement in AB gap was statistically significant between groups B and A, but not between the other groups. In the present study, fascia lata showed better graft uptake as compared to temporalis fascia and sliced tragal cartilage. The hearing assessment at post-operative 3rd month showed statistically significant hearing improvement with fascia lata when compared to temporalis fascia.