Type 1 Tympanoplasty in Benin: a 10- year review

A review of type 1 Tympanoplasty operations (myringoplasty) done on thirty (30) ears in the University of Benin Teachinhg Hospital, Benin City, (UBTH) during a ten - year period was carried out. The patients were aged 21 to 69 years, and consisted of 21 males and 9 females. 15 (50% ) of the ears had medium to large sized central perforations whilst 13 (43.3 % ) were subtotal perforations. Two cases (6.6% ) had marginal perforations. The overall success rate in terms of full graft take was 66.6%, whilst 32.3 % had partial take of the graft. Post operative audiograms showed improvement in hearing in 77% of those cases for which records were available. However long term outcome both for graft take and hearing improvement was impossible to establish due to poor follow-up compliance in the majority of patients. Although there are many cases of chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM) with resultant persistent tympanic (TM) perforation and concomitant hearing defect in the community, the relutance or inability of patients to have reconstructive ear surgery, relative lack of the facilities for the operation in our hospitals and poor follow-up compliance amongst our patients are some of the identificable problems related to this otherwise worthwhile procedure.