Efficacy of middle-ear packing in success of type 1 tympanoplasty: a prospective randomised study.

OBJECTIVE: A prospective randomised study was undertaken to compare the results of type 1 tympanoplasty with and without middle-ear packing with gelfoam. METHOD: Eighty patients undergoing type 1 tympanoplasty were randomised into two groups according to packing in the middle ear: with gelfoam and without gelfoam. The data in terms of graft uptake rate, hearing gain and subjective improvement were analysed at one and three months. RESULTS: The graft uptake rate between both groups did not show a statistically significant difference. There was conductive hearing loss in the gelfoam group in the early post-operative period. Subjectively, patients were more comfortable with respect to heaviness and hearing gain than in the non-gelfoam group. CONCLUSION: Gelfoam use in middle-ear packing is not an essential step and causes more discomfort in patients during the early post-operative period. It should be a surgeon's choice to use it when and where it is necessary.

Endoscopic type 3 tympanoplasty: Functional outcomes in chronic otitis media / Timpanoplastia endoscópica tipo 3: resultados funcionales en la otitis media crónica

BACKGROUND: Type 3 tympanoplasty is the surgery of choice for middle ear reconstruction in cases where an integral stapes suprastructure and mobile footplate are present. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to obtain functional results after endoscopic type 3 tympanoplasty in chronic otitis media. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Prospective study including 24 patients who underwent endoscopic type 3 tympanoplasty, using PORP for ossicular chain reconstruction (OCR) and cartilage graft for tympanic membrane reconstruction. Audiograms were made preoperatively, and 6 months after surgery. RESULTS: Dry, closed, self-cleaning ears were obtained in 91.7% of the cases. Mean preoperative air-bone gap (ABG) was 30.4dB, mean postoperative ABG was 16.7 dB, dB gain of 13.6dB. ABG closure rate to 20 dB or less of 79.2%, and to 10 dB or less of 29.2%. CONCLUSION AND SIGNIFICANCE: Endoscopic tympanoplasty and OCR is a valid option for surgeons who are comfortable with the use of endoscopes for middle ear surgery as it allows improved visualization of the prosthesis and graft placement during middle ear reconstruction. BACKGROUND: Type 3 tympanoplasty is the surgery of choice for middle ear reconstruction in cases where an integral stapes suprastructure and mobile footplate are present. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to obtain functional results after endoscopic type 3 tympanoplasty in chronic otitis media. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Prospective study including 24 patients who underwent endoscopic type 3 tympanoplasty, using PORP for ossicular chain reconstruction (OCR) and cartilage graft for tympanic membrane reconstruction. Audiograms were made preoperatively, and 6 months after surgery. RESULTS: Dry, closed, self-cleaning ears were obtained in 91.7% of the cases. Mean preoperative air-bone gap (ABG) was 30.4dB, mean postoperative ABG was 16.7dB, dB gain of 13.6dB. ABG closure rate to 20dB or less of 79.2%, and to 10dB or less of 29.2%. CONCLUSION AND SIGNIFICANCE: Endoscopic tympanoplasty and OCR is a valid option for surgeons who are comfortable with the use of endoscopes for middle ear surgery as it allows improved visualization of the prosthesis and graft placement during middle ear reconstruction

INTRODUCCIÓN: La timpanoplastia tipo 3 es la cirugía de elección para la reconstrucción del oído medio en casos donde se encuentra íntegra la supraestructura del estapedio, y hay una platina móvil. OBJETIVOS: El objetivo de este estudio es obtener resultados funcionales tras timpanoplastias tipo 3 con abordaje endoscópico. MATERIALES Y MÉTODOS: Estudio prospectivo incluyendo 24 pacientes quienes fueron operados de timpanoplastia tipo 3 endoscópicas, usando una PORP como material de osiculoplastia, y cartílago como injerto de reconstrucción de membrana timpánica. Audiometrías tonales fueron hechas previas a la cirugía y 6 meses posterior a ella. RESULTADOS: Oídos cerrados, secos y autolimpiantes fueron obtenidos en el 91,7% de los casos. El GAP aéreo-óseo preoperatoria medio fue de 30,4 dB, la misma diferencia media postoperatoria fue de 16,7 dB. La reducción de GAP postoperatoria fue de 13,6 dB. La tasa de cierre de GAP a menos de 20dB o menos fue del 79,2% y a menos de 10 dB del 29,2%. CONCLUSIONES: La timpanoplastia y reconstrucción osicular con abordaje endoscópico es una técnica válida y segura cuando es usada por cirujanos que están cómodos con el uso de endoscopios en la cirugía de oído medio, como permite mejor visualización de la colocación de prótesis e injertos durante la cirugía

Primary Liposarcoma with Cholesteatoma in Mastoid.

Liposarcoma is a soft tissue neoplasm that commonly develops in the lower extremities and rarely in the head and neck region. Herein, we report the case of a patient with primary liposarcoma that was detected in the mastoid antrum during staged tympanoplasty for cholesteatoma. The tumor adjacent to the attic cholesteatoma was resected completely, and the pathological diagnosis was that of myxoid-type liposarcoma. Because positron emission tomography after the surgery showed no signs of tumor remnants or systemic metastasis, a second-stage surgery was performed 8 months after the first surgery. After confirming that there was no recurrence, tympanoplasty type III with interposition between the stapes and malleus and canal reconstruction was performed. No recurrence was observed for 5 years, and to date, good hearing has been maintained. This is the first report on long-term follow-up of a patient with liposarcoma in the mastoid antrum.

Endoscopic Type 1 Tympanoplasty in Chronic Otitis Media: Comparative Study with a Postauricular Microscopic Approach.

OBJECTIVE: To compare surgical outcomes after tympanoplasty without ossiculoplasty for chronic otitis media between transcanal endoscopic ear surgery (TEES) and postauricular microscopic ear surgery (PAMES). STUDY DESIGN: Case-control study. SETTING: Tertiary care university hospital. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Consecutive patients (N = 122) who had undergone tympanoplasty without ossiculoplasty for chronic otitis media were enrolled in this retrospective study and divided into 2 groups: TEES (n = 47) and PAMES (n = 75). Middle ear condition was graded with the middle ear risk index. Hearing, repair of tympanic membrane perforation, and surgical time were assessed. RESULTS: The surgical success rate for hearing (air-bone gap ≤20 dB) was 95.7% in the TEES group and 84.0% in the PAMES group. Lower middle ear risk resulted in similar mean (95% CI) closure of air-bone gaps (TEES: 9.6, 6.5-12.6; PAMES: 8.0, 6.4-9.7; P = .333), whereas higher middle ear risk demonstrated significantly larger closure of air-bone gaps for the TEES group (10.1, 3.3-16.9) than the PAMES group (-0.2, -4.5 to 4.2; P = .009). The surgical success rate for repair of tympanic membrane perforation and surgical time were equivalent between TEES and PAMES. CONCLUSION: Under favorable conditions of the middle ear, TEES and PAMES resulted in similar hearing improvement by tympanoplasty without ossiculoplasty. However, under adverse conditions of the middle ear, TEES was a more beneficial approach for hearing improvement than PAMES.

Myringoplasty Quality Control Is Necessary: Comparison of Surgical Results of Two Consecutive Series in A Single Institution.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare myringoplasty results from two different consecutive series conducted at the Kuopio University Hospital during a four-decade period. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We reviewed 315 patients (a total of 338 ears) who underwent myringoplasty at Kuopio University Hospital between the years 1986 and 2012. The results from this series were compared with those form a previously published series of 404 patients who underwent myringoplasty between 1970 and 1985 at the same institution. RESULTS: Myringoplasty was considered to be successful whenever the tympanic membrane remained closed without atelectasis. The results were analyzed at the 1- and 3-year follow-up. The overall success rate after 1 year was 82.8% compared with 88% in the previous series. The success rate after 3 years was 87.4%. The best closure rate after 1 year (85.7%) was achieved with fascia grafts (n=272) and perichondrium (85.7%, n=14). The closure rate of 61.9% with the perichondrium/cartilage graft (n=21) and 71.0% with the fat graft (n=31) was statistically significantly lower (p < 0.05) compared with that with the fascia graft. The postoperative air-bone gap (0.5-4 kHz) was < 10 dB(HL) in 56.2% and < 20 dB(HL) in 79.6% cases compared with 61% and 87%, respectively, in previous series. CONCLUSION: Myringoplasty is a safe procedure with a reasonably high success rate. We observed a slight deterioration in the overall results compared with the previous series. This study highlights the importance of systematic quality control and the results and the need for follow-up of the learning curve after the introduction of new surgical techniques and materials.

[Chronic purulent otitis media].

This lecture reviews up-to-date information on the classification, etiology, pathogenesis, clinical features, diagnostics, surgical and conservative treatment of chronic purulent otitis media. It is maintained that surgical intervention including sanative and reconstructive procedures as well as hearing improvement measures is currently the preferred approach to the treatment of the disease in question. Special attention is given to different variants of sanative surgery in combination with tympanoplasty. The author emphasizes that the conservative therapy of chronic otitis media has the objective to eliminate exacerbation of the chronic process and does not substitute the surgical treatment.

Timpanoplastia secundaria contejido aerolar laxo y nutriciónsubdérmica / Secondary tympanoplasty with areolar tissue and subdermal nutrition

La timpanoplastia secundaria es un reto quirúrgico debido a que varios factores intervienen para obtener un resultado satisfactorio. Múltiples materiales han sido descritos para el cierre de las perforaciones timpánicas secundarias con tasas de éxito que oscilan en promedio del 93 por ciento. Los autores de este estudio describen una técnica quirúrgica que ha sido de gran utilidad en el Hospital Universitario del Valle, Cali, Colombia, para el cierre de perforaciones timpánicas secundarias con tejido areolar laxo. Este injerto posee una citoarquitectura ideal para integrarse al oído. Se reporta en esta serie una tasa de cierre de la perforación del 97 por ciento y una mejoría audiológica promedio de 21dB. Se considera que el mayor aporte vascular que se logra a través de la disección del ánulus posterior, colgajos meatales y timpánicos contribuyen de manera significativa a la viabilidad del injerto.

Secondary timpanoplasty is a surgical challenge since various factors contribute to obtain a satisfactory result. Multiples materials have been described for perforation closure in secondary timpanoplasty with a mean success rate around 93 percent. The authors describe a surgical technique that has proved to be of great help at the Hospital Universitario del Valle in Cali, Colombia with areolar tissue. The histological properties of areolar tissue makes it ideal for tympanic membrane repair. We report a closure rate of the 97 percent and a fair audiological results with a PTA less than 21 dB for the described series. The authors believe that a bigger blood supply that is achieved by posterior annulus dissection, meatal and timpanal flaps contribute significantly to the survival of the graft.

The treatment of the ears with advanced pathology using a composite graft of perichondrium and cartilage.

In ears with advanced pathology the functional and anatomical results of a surgical procedure depend on factors such as total perforation, tympanosclerosis. Atelectasis. Suppuration or possibility a previous operation. A Perichondrium-Cartilage Composite Graft (PCCG) was used to repair the tympanic membrane by a total of 350 cases over a five-year period in total, 157 type I tympanoplasty procedures (15% with previous surgery) and 193 type III procedures (52% with previous surgery) were carried out. The graft was obtained from the tragus and/or the conceal cartilage. Two slightly different surgical techniques were used. Closure of the perforation in the tympanic membrane was successful in 94% of the procedures. An < or = 30 dB in 79% of the type III procedures. In conclusion, the PCCG is a reliable graft in cases of advances middle ear damage

Cartilage tympanoplasty methods: proposal of a classification.

The 23 known cartilage tympanoplasty methods to reconstruct the eardrum are classified in six main groups. Each method is briefly defined, described, and illustrated: GROUP A: Cartilage tympanoplasty with palisades, stripes, and slices. The eardrum is reconstructed by several, various, full-thickness pieces of cartilage with attached perichondrium on the ear canal side. In this group six different methods are described. GROUP B: Cartilage tympanoplasty with foils, thin plates, and thick plates, not covered with the perichondrium. In this group four methods are included. GROUP C: Tympanoplasty with cartilage-perichondrium composite island grafts. The perichondrium flap suspends or fixates the cartilage. In this group four methods are included. GROUP D: Tympanoplasty with special total pars tensa cartilage-perichondrium composite grafts. All three methods are used to close a total perforation, but differ from each. Three special methods are included in this group. GROUP E: Cartilage-perichondrium composite island grafts tympanoplasty for anterior, inferior, and subtotal perforations. Two on-lay and two underlay methods are included.GROUP F: Special cartilage tympanoplasty methods: The cartilage disc is placed under the perforation, the perichondrium onto the denuded eardrum remnant.

Reconstruction of the ossicular chain with titanium implants.

OBJECTIVES: Since 1994 more than 1300 titanium implants have been used to reconstruct the ossicular chain of the middle ear for chronic otitis media. Two different types of implants were used. First, a total and a partial implant of fixed length, available in numerous different lengths. And second, a total and partial implant that has an adjustable length. The implants are commercially available from 2 different companies. Patients were followed for a postoperative term from 6 to 72 months. METHODS: A wide variety of patients aged 5 to 82 years received a tympanoplasty type III. Those patients whose ossicular chain had been reconstructed with titanium implants since 1994 were evaluated. As implants from one company are fixed in length; implants of a second company are trimmable in length. All prostheses are lightweight and made of pure titanium, fitting most anatomical situations. RESULTS: Earlier results already showed a very low complication rate. Extrusions occurred only in cases of middle ear atalectasis with resorption of interposed cartilage (<1%). No adverse reaction to the prostheses could be seen, even in histologic reviews. An average air-bone gap less than 20 dB(A) for all calculated frequencies of 0.5, 1, 2, and 4 kHz was achieved for 76% of cases; 43% of cases showed a calculated air-bone gap of less than 10 dB(A), only 10% higher than 30 dB(A). CONCLUSION: All implants used offer the proven benefits of titanium, namely high biocompatibility and high stability at a very low complication rate with excellent hearing results for the patients. Titanium implants can highly be recommended to reconstruct the ossicular chain of the middle ear.

Tympanoplasty type II with ionomeric cement and titanium-gold-angle prostheses.

OBJECTIVE: The pronounced isolated erosion of the long incus process is a challenging situation during tympanoplasty. Here, we report two methods for reconstruction of the ossicular chain as tympanoplasty type II with the incus remaining in situ. (1) lonomeric cement is used, resulting in two characteristics: a direct link between stapes head and the long incus process is achieved. At the stapes head the link possesses a joint allowing physiological movements between incus and stapes. (2) Titanium-gold-angle prosthesis according to Plester were crimped to the long process of the incus and positioned onto the head of the stapes forming an articulation. STUDY DESIGN: Forty-five patients with missing long incus process underwent ossiculoplasty among which 41 patients were operated within a randomized, prospective clinical trial. For myringoplasty, the underlay technique with tragus perichondrium was used in all patients. SETTING: We investigated hospitalized patients. INTERVENTION: In 26 patients ossiculoplasty was performed as tympanoplasty type II, in 19 patients with incus interposition. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: The essential criterion was the postoperative air-bone-gap (dB). RESULTS: Incus interposition achieved less satisfactory results with an average remaining air-bone gap of 10-20 dB. By contrast, the two tympanoplasty type II procedures yielded average postoperative air-bone-gaps of 0-10 dB (p=0.0003 at 1 kHz; p=0.0028 at 4 kHz), thus reaching the "gold standard" of stapedotomy. The two type II procedures, however, were not equal. The angle prosthesis was restricted to cases with a sufficiently long incus process, whereas the cement-technique is also applicable, when only a short part of the long incus process remained. CONCLUSION: In the present study we show that in the case of a missing crus longum of the incus, a tympanoplasty type II achieved a statistically significant better hearing gain than an autograft interposition.

Type IV tympanoplasty revisited.

OBJECTIVE: There has been a great improvement in the material and design of prosthesis used for total ossicular reconstruction in recent years. As a result, the indication for type IV tympanoplasty has become more restricted. The long-term follow-up of type IV tympanoplasties performed by the author is presented. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: This is a retrospective study of 31 patients who had type IV tympanoplasties performed by the author at the ear, nose, and throat clinic of a district general hospital. PATIENTS: All the patients had chronic active otitis media with total loss of ossicles that were unsuitable for ossicular reconstruction. INTERVENTION AND MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The preoperative and postoperative air and bone conduction thresholds of all the patients who underwent type IV tympanoplasty were measured. RESULTS: Twenty-six percent of the patients had a postoperative hearing level <40 dB and 58% had an air-bone gap <30 dB. The indication for type IV tympanoplasty can be categorized into four groups: severe atelectasis, patients with cleft palate, erosion of the footplate, and surgery on the better-only hearing ear. CONCLUSION: There still is a place for type IV tympanoplasty in modern otology.

Current status and future challenges of tympanoplasty.

Four decades after the introduction of tympanoplasty, the goal of achieving stable and long-term hearing improvement after tympanoplasty surgery for chronic otitis media continues to be elusive. In this review, we focus on the current status of our understanding of the mechanics and pathology of the middle ear after tympanoplasty surgery. We also analyze some problems and challenges faced by clinicians and basic scientists in the quest for improved postoperative hearing results.

[Autologous tissue in initial type I and type III tympanoplasty operations in chronic suppurative otitis media]. / Autologes Gewebe bei Typ-I- und Typ-III-Tympanoplastikerstoperationen bei der chronischen Schleimhauteiterung.

We reviewed 192 patients who had been treated for chronic otitis media. All operations were carried out at the Department of Otolaryngology, University of Tübingen. No patient had a previous ear operation and revision operations were excluded. The observation period varied from a minimum of 1 year to a maximum of 4 1/2 years. The ossicular chain was partially destroyed in 43 ears (22.4%). Ossiculoplasty was performed using autologous ossicles. An inens was used in 31 ears and a malleus in 12 cases. The overall failure rate was 20.8%. Most recurrent perforations were found in middle-aged patients. Children had only a 14% incidence of recurrent perforations. Fascia was the material associated with the highest failure rate (28.6%). After using perichondrium 6.8% of the cases had recurrent perforations, whereas the perichondrium-cartilage transplant was not successful in 4.8%. Overall, 62.7% of the patients were found to have an air-bone gap of 10 dB or less at 1.5 kHz 3-6 months after surgery. An air-bone gap of 20 dB or less was found in 91.2% of the patients. The main problem seen in the patients with chronic otitis media was not reconstruction of the ossicular chain but a lasting closure of the tympanic membrane. The perichondrium-cartilage transplant permitted the best results and is now recommended especially for patients with unfavorable middle ear conditions. A long-lasting closure of the tympanic membrane was also found in children (< or = 15 years of age). For this reason we also recommend an early operation in order to allow children to lead a normal life.

Effects of aging on hearing results in tympanoplasty.

The effects of aging on the preoperative and postoperative hearing results of tympanoplasty were assessed in 642 patients with chronic suppurative otitis media (COM) or cholesteatoma (CHL). Analysis focused on the correlation between hearing results and age for each disease and type of tympanoplasty. Data were evaluated by calculating the regression line, mainly using second order polynomial regression analysis. Averaged air and bone conduction thresholds (PTA) in patients were appreciably poorer in younger patients and increased with age, compared with physiological hearing impairment in old age (presbyacusis). Regression lines for PTA of air and bone conduction in patients and for normal data (air conduction) separated from each other after the age of 30 and hearing impairment gradually accelerated with age. Means of air-borne gap, however, were almost the same in each age group, though hearing thresholds in individual patients were distributed widely. This was more dominant in patients who had undergone type III or IV tympanoplasty than those with type I tympanoplasty, and in patients with COM than with CHL. Labyrinthine function thus appears to be gradually aggravated with age in patients with chronic inflammatory ear disease. Patients with chronic otitis media should be thus recommended to undergo tympanoplasty at an early age.

Restoration of hearing with type V tympanoplasty.

Type V tympanoplasty with fenestration of the oval window and protection of the round window in a residual hypotympanic cavity can be considered as the last-chance procedure for rehabilitation of hearing in ears with 'canal wall down' or other conditions. The review of 64 cases suggests that restoration of hearing can be adequate in the majority of cases.

Selection of cases and classification of tympanoplasty.

Meticulous mastoid surgery does not always result in a dry, stable ear. Eustachian tube malfunction has been accepted as an important factor in chronic and recurrent middle ear infection. There are many parameters of eustachian tube malfunction, which form a complicated problem for investigation and analysis. Of most importance appears to be varying degrees of malformation of the nasopharynx and palate. A gradient from mild to overt deformity appears to be related to the degree of eustachian tube function. Other factors, such as nasal infection and allergy, nasopharyngeal scar tissue and tumors, and general resistance to infection, are of less importance but must be considered in the etiology of chronic ear disease. Tympanoplasty is relatively unsuccessful in a chronic discharging ear, as the infection ultimately destroys a surgical repair. Persistent otorrhea can be caused by either eustachian tube malfunction or a reservoir of chronic infection in the mastoid cavity. A mastoidectomy often controls the infection in the mastoid cells and a tympanoplasty may be done as a secondary procedure when the cavity is stable. A careful preoperative evaluation should be made in every case to determine the responsible factors for persistent ear infection. If possible, attempts should be made to eliminate the causative factors prior to the tympanoplasty. Classification of cases into four groups helps to separate those cases with a good prognosis from those that will continue to suppurate and will have a poor functional result. A dual classification of tympanoplasty has been established in which the type of reconstruction is documented and the stability of the ear against infection is estimated. Classified clinical material forms the basis for a clearer representation of the cases under investigation and the results of tympanoplastic surgery become statistically comparable. Classification of cases also aids in the selection of cases for surgery by identifying preoperatively those cases that will be successful from those that may not have a good result. With this information at hand it is possible to more accurately inform the patient preoperatively regarding hearing improvement and control of infection following a tympanoplasty.