Surgical Outcomes in Chronic Otitis Media: Hearing and Quality of Life Improvements

Chronic Otitis Media (COM) is a persistent middle ear infection that can cause hearing impairment and significantly impact a patient's quality of life (QoL). While surgical interventions such as tympanoplasty are well-recognized for improving hearing, their broader effects on QoL remain less thoroughly investigated. To evaluate the impact of ear surgery on both audiometric outcomes and QoL in patients with COM, using validated patient-reported outcome measures. This prospective analytical study was conducted in the Department of ENT at a tertiary care hospital, involving 120 adult patients diagnosed with COM. Changes in QoL were assessed using validated tools: the Chronic Ear Survey (CES) and the Chronic Otitis Media Outcome Test-15 (COMOT-15) questionnaires, administered both pre- and post-surgery. Audiometric outcomes were measured using Pure Tone Audiometry (PTA). Post-operative evaluations demonstrated significant improvements in both audiometric outcomes and QoL. The mean air-bone (AB) gap decreased from 28.92 ± 8.83 dB pre-operatively to 16.47 ± 5.86 dB post-operatively. CES scores increased from 58.45 ± 9.01 to 76.19 ± 8.33, while COMOT-15 scores improved from 56.65 ± 12.16 to 22.81 ± 8.52. These improvements were statistically significant (p < 0.001). Ear surgery in patients with COM significantly enhances both hearing function and QoL. These findings emphasize the necessity of incorporating patientreported outcome measures, such as QoL assessments, in evaluating surgical success and underscore the importance of timely surgical interventions for comprehensive patient care.