The Management of Tympanic Membrane Perforation With Endoscopic Type I Tympanoplasty

Abstract

Objective: The objective of this study is to describe what we consider to be the state-of-the-art procedure for the treatment of tympanic membrane perforations, and to present the results attained in our institution. Study Design: A retrospective cohort study, using data of Verona University Hospital, Italy. This medical record includes the data of 98 patients who underwent 100 transcanal endoscopic type I tympanoplasties from November 2014 to October 2017. Setting: Tertiary referral center University Hospital of Verona, Italy. Patients: Were enrolled 109 patients, that underwent endoscopic type I tympanoplasty in the period considered. Out of the selected patients, 11 (10.1%) were lost to long-term follow-up, and were therefore excluded from our study. Other exclusion criteria were surgical approaches that included other procedures. Patients whose follow-up was shorter than 6 months were excluded from this study. Intervention: The technique is based on an endoscopic placement of underlay graft of temporal fascia or tragal cartilage. We consider the data of four surgeons from Verona University ENT department. Main Outcome Measure: In the study we considered the reduction of the Air Bone Gap as functional outcome and the integrity of the reconstruction as anatomical outcome of success. Results: No major intraoperative complications were observed. The closure rate was 86%. The mean surgery time was 48.6 minutes. The air bone gap was improved within 20 DB HL in 89% of patient. Only 8% of patients needed revision surgery, and none needed a third surgical evaluation. Conclusion: Endoscopic ear surgery is by now a reality that has replaced in many cases exclusive microscopic ear surgery. Transcanal endoscopic type I tympanoplasty can be considered nowadays as an alternative technique for tympanic membrane perforations.

Comparison of endoscopic and microscopic tympanoplasty in patients with chronic otitis media

“…The microscope equipment offers binocular vision along with an excellent stereoscopic surgical view and leaves both the surgeon’s hands free, but it is limited by the straight-line vision that makes visualization of the middle ear through the ear canal relatively difficult. The microscopic surgery requires an upside-down conical “working space,” resulting in much more soft tissue resection, with or without drilling of the bone to obtain adequate illumination [ 3 ].…”

Teaching Middle Ear Anatomy and Basic Ear Surgery Skills: A Qualitative Study Comparing Endoscopic and Microscopic Techniques

“…Endoscopic ear surgery is gaining popularity as a minimally invasive alternative to the microscopic approach to surgery of the middle ear. Its clinical applicability as an exclusive or adjunctive procedure relates to the full spectrum of otology and lateral skull base surgery 1–6 . The ongoing implementation of this technique in clinical routine has inter alia consequences for the teaching of middle ear anatomy and ear surgery skills to medical students, otorhinolaryngology (ORL) residents, and fellows.…”

Racial Disparities in Tympanoplasty Surgery: A 30-Day Morbidity and Mortality National Cohort Study

“…Tympanoplasty is the mainstay treatment for tympanic membrane reconstruction after perforation (1,2). Tympanic membrane (TM) perforation, which involves at least 0.5% of the population, can be attributed to trauma and disease of the middle ear (3).…”