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Published on: March 8, 2017
Comparative study of laser versus radiofrequency myringotomy in rabbits: The effectiveness of mitomycin C application
Vassilios A Lachanas1, Emmanuel P Prokopakis, Panayotis N Christodoulou
1Department of Otolaryngology, University of Crete, School of Medicine, Heraklion, Crete, Greece.
Objective:
To compare laser-assisted tympanostomy (LAT) with radiofrequency myringotomy (RFM), as well as the effectiveness of mitomycin C (MC) on the above techniques, in rabbits.
Study Design:
Experimental animal research protocol.
Setting:
University of Crete, School of Medicine, Medical Experimental Education and Research Center.
Methods:
Bilateral myringotomies were performed under general anesthesia on 40 rabbits. LAT was performed on 20 animals (40 ears) and RFM on the remaining 20 animals (40 ears). MC (0.3 mg/mL) pledgets were applied to the right ears and saline pledgets to the left ears. Animals were monitored weekly using otomicroscopy until myringotomy closure. Kaplan-Meier survival techniques were used to compare myringotomy patency times.
Interventions:
Under general anesthesia, bilateral LAT was performed on 20 rabbits and bilateral RFM on 20 rabbits.
Main Outcome Measures:
Myringotomy patency time.
Results:
The mean patency times of the saline-treated ears were: 1.85 weeks (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.556-2.144 wk) for the LAT group and 1.70 weeks (95% CI, 1.494-1.906 wk) for the RFM group. This difference was not significant (p > 0.5). MC application significantly prolonged mean patency time (p < 0.0001) in both LAT and RFM groups. The mean patency times in the MC-treated ears were 5.45 weeks (95% CI, 5.226-5.674 wk) for the LAT group and 5.55 weeks (95% CI, 5.285-5.815 wk) for the RFM group. This difference was not significant (p > 0.5).
Conclusion:
There is no significant difference in myringotomy patency times between LAT and RFM techniques in rabbits, whereas MC significantly prolongs the patency rate of either technique.
