This study suggests that diced cartilage graft wrapped in surgicell was absorbed, whereas diced cartilage graft wrapped in fascia was not.

Over-under tympanoplasty is a technique aimed at eliminating the disadvantages of the two classical techniques of overlay and underlay myringoplasty, which are employed in repairing the tympanic membrane. In this retrospective study, a total of 104 patients underwent myringoplasty, which was performed by means of the underlay technique in 46 patients and over-under technique in 58 patients. The mean follow-up period was 11 months. In the first group of patients, the underlay technique was performed; the grafted membrane was placed medial to the remaining drum and the manubrium of the malleus. In the second group, the over-under technique was performed; the grafted membrane was placed under the remaining drum and over the malleus. The rate of success in the first group of 46 patients was 91.5%, and that of atelectasis was 19.5%. The rate of success in the second group of 58 patients was 94.9% and 12%, respectively. Lateralization of the graft was not observed in either of the groups. In the patients operated on by means of the underlay technique, the air-bone gap decreased by 16.55 dB this rate was 16.96 dB in those operated on by the over-under technique. The authors consider over-under tympanoplasty to be superior to the other two classical methods not only because of its effectiveness, but also because of the results achieved by this technique.

In this study, we found that the anterior commissure lies approximately at the juncture of the upper two fifths and lower three fifths of the midline height of thyroid cartilage in the majority of the larynges of the male and female cadavers. The position of the posterior border of the vocal cords was found to be at a lower level than anterior commissure in two thirds of males and in one third of females. This means that the vocal cords slope downward posteriorly in the majority of the larynges of the males. This may be one of the causes of failure of some type I thyroplasties.

In nasal septal surgery, fixing the caudal portion of the nasal septum to the anterior nasal spine is difficult with the present techniques. N-2-butyl cyanoacrylate is a form of cyanoacrylate which is bioabsorbable and biocompatible. The feasibility and efficacy of the compound, which is easy to apply to the tissues, for the above purpose is investigated in this experimental study. Fourteen New Zealand rabbits were included in the study. The nasal septum was exposed with the open approach (transcolumellar). In the study group (n=10), the septum was detached from the nasal floor and attached to a point 3 mm lateral to the nasal spine on the right side, using 2-butyl cyanoacrylate. In control group (n=4) it was deviated 3 mm to the right side and left for spontaneous healing without using any fixation method. Beginning on the third postoperative week, one animal was sacrificed under general anesthesia, every week in the study group and every third week in the control group, and the septum was analysed. Foreign body reaction, histotoxicity, and the structure of the regenerative tissue in the junction of bone and cartilage were analysed with histopathology. The success of stabilization in the study group, where the septum was attached with N-2-butyl cyanoacrylate, was significantly superior to the control group where no fixation method was used (P<0.05). Histopathologically, there were no differences between the two groups with respect to foreign body reaction, histotoxicity, and the tissue that formed between the bone and cartilage (P>0.05). This study demonstrated that N-2-Butyl cyanoacrylate was successful in the fixation of the caudal edge of the nasal septum to the anterior nasal spine. No serious infections, foreign body reaction, necrosis or histotoxicity were observed.