Therapeutic Efficacy of Angiocatheter Insertion Surgery in the Bony Orifice of Patulous Eustachian Tube / 대한이비인후과학회지

ABSTRACT

Patulous Eustachian tube is a benign, but bothersome condition, which can cause severe physical and psychological problems. We investigated the clinical features and the therapeutic result of the surgery in three patients, whose patulous Eustachian tube symptom were treated by the surgical insertion of a specially designed, tripod-tipped-bone wax-filled angiocatheter into the bony orifice of the Eustachian tube. Immediate disappearance of the troublesome symptoms was observed in all six patients. No serious complications were observed during the follow-up period. Factors considered for this surgical therapy and the method of designing our specific angiocatheter are introduced in detail. Surgical therapy for patients with serious patulous Eustachian tube symptoms by inserting the tripod-tipped-bone wax-filled angiocatheter seemed promising. Further studies on its long-term therapeutic effects might be necessary using a large number of the patients.