Endoscopic techniques in tympanoplasty and stapes surgery

Area of Science:

• Otolaryngology
• Minimally Invasive Surgery
• Surgical Technology

Background:

• Endoscopic ear surgery offers enhanced visualization of the middle ear compared to microscopy.
• While endoscopes are established in cholesteatoma surgery, their application in tympanoplasty and stapes surgery requires further outcome analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review and highlight existing studies on surgical outcomes and complications of endoscopic tympanoplasty and stapes procedures.
• To assess the current evidence for total endoscopic ear surgery in specific otologic procedures.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review of recent literature (previous 12 months) focusing on endoscopic tympanoplasty and stapes surgery.
• Analysis of reported perforation closure rates, air-bone gaps, and complication rates.

Main Results:

• Endoscopic tympanoplasty demonstrates high perforation closure rates (84.0–97.2%) and favorable air-bone gaps (5.3–13.8 dB).
• Endoscopic stapes surgery shows significant air-bone gap closure (<10 dB) in 56.0–86.7% of cases.
• Complication rates for both endoscopic procedures are comparable to those of microscopic surgery.

Conclusions:

• Endoscopic tympanoplasty and stapes procedures are well-tolerated with complication profiles similar to microscopic techniques.
• Further research is needed to evaluate patient-centered outcomes and long-term results of endoscopic ear surgery.