The Gelfoam® plug: an alternative treatment for small eardrum perforations

To examine if a Gelfoam® plug in combination with surgical removal of the perforation edges could be an alternative to the widely accepted fat plug treatment for smaller ear drum perforations.

A prospective study of 17 consecutive patients with persistent small ear drum perforations considered for myringoplasty. The perforations were central perforations 2 to 4 mm in diameter. Patient ages ranged from 6 to 83 years, and the operation was performed under general anesthesia with mask ventilation in children and under topical local anesthesia in adults. A Gelfoam® plug was inserted into the perforation after surgical removal of the perforation edges. The follow-up time was more than 3 months.

The closure rate of the ear drum was 83% (15/18). Pure tone average (PTA) was 19 dB preoperatively and 16 dB postoperatively.

We show for the first time in humans that a Gelfoam® plug in combination with surgical removal of the perforation edges seems to result in about the same closure rate as the fat plug technique in persistent small ear drum perforations. Moreover, the method using Gelfoam® is simpler and faster than the fat plug technique. We suggest that randomized studies comparing the Gelfoam® plug technique with the fat plug technique should be performed.