Tympanomastoidectomy for chronic otitis media without cholesteatoma

A series of 221 ears with chronic suppurative otitis media without cholesteatoma is presented--84% of the cases were treated using one-stage tympanomastoidectomy and 15% underwent cortical mastoidectomy with planned second-stage tympanoplasty. Mean follow-up period was 6.3 years. Control of infection succeeded in 92% after the primary operation. Failures were most common in ears infected with Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Postoperative cholesteatoma developed in 5 ears (2.2%). Hearing results were unsatisfactory; a postoperative air-bone gap within 20 dB was achieved in only 62%. In revision operations, retained mastoid air cells were found in 64% of ears with recurrent or persistent discharge. Thirty-seven percent of patients with unsuccessful outcome were observed to have a possible underlying or concomitant disease. The importance of intensive preoperative conservative treatment and careful surgical technique is stressed.