[Functional results of "open" and "closed" surgery on the middle ear]

This paper was designed to evaluate functional results of "open" and "closed"-type surgery on the middle ear in 186 patients presenting with chronic suppurative otitis media. Audiological examination was performed 1, 3, and 5 years after surgery. Analysis of outcomes of "open" and "closed"-type operations did not reveal significant differences in the degree of improvement of hearing and speech perception. It means that neither intact posterior wall of the auditory passage nor its removal has appreciable effect on the hearing function.