Efficiency of cryotherapy in avoiding myringotomy closure in rats

Area of Science:

• Otolaryngology
• Biomedical Engineering
• Surgical Innovation

Background:

• Myringotomy with ventilation tube placement is a standard procedure for middle ear effusions and transtympanic drug delivery.
• Maintaining the patency of the myringotomy incision is crucial for the efficacy of these treatments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of low-pressure spray cryotherapy in prolonging the patency duration of myringotomies.
• To investigate the impact of cryotherapy on the healing process of the tympanic membrane.

Main Methods:

• Bilateral myringotomies were created in rats using cold instruments.
• One eardrum per rat was treated with liquid nitrogen spray cryotherapy.
• Daily monitoring of myringotomy patency and subsequent histological analysis were performed.

Main Results:

• The cryotherapy group exhibited a significantly longer mean patency time (11.01 ± 4.87 days) compared to the control group (4.75 ± 2.93 days).
• Kaplan-Meier analysis confirmed a statistically significant increase in myringotomy survival in the cryotherapy group (p < 0.00001).
• Histological findings indicated a prolonged healing process in cryotreated eardrums.

Conclusions:

• Low-pressure spray cryotherapy effectively extends the patency of myringotomies in a rat model.
• This method offers a promising strategy for enhancing the duration of ventilation tube function and improving treatment outcomes for middle ear conditions.