Effect of Tympanostomy Tube Removal Technique on Surgical Success and Operative Time

Tympanostomy tube removal is a common procedure, the most common complication of which is persistent perforation. Multiple surgical techniques exist. This study seeks to determine whether the technique used affects success rate or surgical time.

This was a retrospective cohort study in a tertiary-care children's hospital. Tube removal procedure codes were used to extract charts from 2008 to 2023. Data were collected on surgical technique, success, operative time, indications, and patient factors. Primary outcome measure was surgical success, defined as no residual perforation.

A total of 1562 patient ears were analyzed. Success rate was 95.5% for trichloroacetic acid (TCA) myringoplasty with patch, 86.5% for cold myringoplasty with patch placement (CMwP), 74.7% for cold myringoplasty without patch placement (CMsP), and 73.8% for tube removal alone (TR). TR as compared with CMsP did not show a difference in closure rates (p = 1.0000). CMwP was more likely to be successful than TR (p = 0.0162) or CMsP (p = 0.0117). TCA was more likely to be successful than CMwP (p = 0.0197). Median operative time was 4 min for TR, CMsP, and CMwP and 5 min for TCA. This difference in operative time between the groups was statistically significant (p < 0.001).

TCA myringoplasty with patch shows greater surgical success rate than cold myringoplasty with patch, cold myringoplasty without patch, or tube removal alone, but it has a longer operative time. Cold myringoplasty with patch has greater surgical success than cold myringoplasty without patch or tube removal alone.

3 Laryngoscope, 135:2171-2175, 2025.