Tympanostomy Tubes: Are They Necessary? A Systematic Review on Implementation in Cleft Care

To understand the indication for and the effects of early ventilation tube insertion (VTI) on hearing and speech for patients with cleft lip and/or palate (CLP).

We conducted a Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA)-guided systematic review of relevant literature.

Setting varied by geographical location and level of clinical care across studies.

Patients with CLP who underwent VTI were included.

No interventions were performed.

Primary outcome measures were hearing and speech following VTI. Secondary outcome measures were tube-related and middle ear complications. Early VTI occurred before or at time of palatoplasty while late VTI occurred after palatoplasty.

Twenty-three articles met inclusion criteria. Articles varied among study design, outcome measures, sample size, follow-up, and quality. Few studies demonstrated support for early VTI. Many studies reported no difference in hearing or speech between early and late VTI. Others reported worse outcomes, greater likelihood of complications, or needing repeat VTI following early tympanostomy placement. Several studies had significant limitations, including confounding variables, small sample size, or not reporting on our primary outcome.

No consistency was found regarding which patients would benefit most from early VTI. Given the aforementioned variability and sub-optimal methodologies, additional studies are warranted to provide stronger evidence regarding VTI timing in cleft care.