ABSTRACT
Objective Following up with otoscopy after the middle ear surgery in order to understand the prognosis and recurrence of the surgical cavity. Methods Four hundred and eighty-three ears after middle ear surgery were followed up with otoscopy to understand the situation of its dry ear, surgical cavity lesions as well as whether there was recurrence. Among 483 ears with middle ear surgery, 172 ears were performed with tympanoplasty, 211 ears with tympanoplasty plus modified mastoidectomy, 26 ears with up wall mastoidectomy plus tympanoplasty, 15 ears with radical mastoidectomy, 59 ears with mastoid surgical cavity repair. Results By otoscopy 12 ears were found with secondary tympanic membrane perforation, 9 ears with tympanic membrane perforation without healing, 36 ears with granulation in tympanic membrane or mastoid, 23 ears with recurrent cholesteatoma, 11 ears with middle ear effusion, 5 ears with canal stenosis, 16 ears with fungus infections in surgical cavity, 2 ears with prolapse of artificial auditory ossicles, 3 ears with necrosis of mastoid cavity flap. The time of dry ear after the surgery in open mastoidectomy was (2.1 ± 0.4) months. Conclusion Following up regularly with otoscopy after middle ear surgery is benefit to the clearance of residual disease, preventing recurrence and promoting early dry ear.