What Effect Does Smoking Have on the Surgical Closure of Tympanic Membrane Perforations? A Review.

OBJECTIVES: The link between cigarette smoking and outcome following surgical repair of tympanic membrane perforation is unclear. The objective of this study was to conduct a systematic review on the link between smoking and success rate following surgical repair of tympanic membrane perforations. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Systematic review performed using the following data sources: 1) Cochrane central register of controlled trials (1997 to April 30, 2018), 2) Medline (February 1948 to April 30, 2018), and 3) Embase (1975 to April 30, 2018). Inclusion criteria for this study was: 1) studies reporting surgical closure of tympanic membrane perforations in smokers, 2)primary and revision cases, 3) English language literature, 4) minimum follow-up period of 6 months, and 5) pre and postoperative audiogram. The exclusion criteria were: 1) no identifiable data on smokers in reported outcomes, 2) less than 6 months follow-up, 3) no audiometric outcomes, and 4) non-English language articles. RESULTS: A total of 75 studies were identified on initial search and 8 were eligible for the study. All studies were of level 4 evidence. In these eight studies, overall surgical closure of tympanic membrane perforation was successful in 512/577 (88.7%) of nonsmokers and 151/197 (76.6%) in smokers. This difference was statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: Smokers may have a lower success rate compared against nonsmokers for surgical repair of tympanic membrane perforations. Our review has limitations and more prospective high-quality controlled trials are required to further study this association.

Achieving a Successful Closure of an Anterior Tympanic Membrane Perforation: Evidence-Based Systematic Review.

Objectives Surgical repair of a tympanic membrane perforation is a common otologic procedure. However, achieving a successful closure can be challenging, especially if the anterior margin of the tympanic membrane is involved. The aim of this study was to systematically review the literature on evidence published in closure of anterior tympanic membrane perforations. Data Sources The following data sources were searched: Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (1997 to August, 3 2017), MEDLINE (February 1948 to August 3, 2017), and Embase (1975 to August 3, 2017). Data Extraction Two authors independently reviewed titles and abstracts. The PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses) guidelines were followed. For the purpose of this study, the inclusion criteria were as follows; (1) studies reporting surgical technique for closure of anterior tympanic membrane perforations, (2) primary cases only, (3) articles published in the English language, (4) minimum 6-month follow-up, and (5) recorded pre- and postoperative audiometry. The exclusion criteria were non-English language articles, revision surgery, and no audiometric outcomes. Results On initial search, a total of 181 articles were identified (PubMed, n = 136; Cochrane, n = 28; Embase, n = 17). Based on the criteria, 136 articles were excluded. Full text of 45 articles was reviewed, and a further 24 articles were excluded. A total of 21 articles fulfilled the criteria for study inclusion. Conclusions All published evidence is level 4. High-quality controlled studies are required to determine the most effective method for closure of anterior tympanic membrane perforation.

Clinical review of adult tracheostomy.

Tracheostomy is a surgical procedure which is increasingly being performed in the intensive care unit (ICU) rather than the operating room (Griffiths et al 2005, Delaney et al 2006). Procedural knowledge including postoperative care is essential for ENT surgeons and ICU practitioners alike. Our article aims to highlight the operative technique, surgical complications and various types of tracheostomy tubes available, including their management.