Late hearing results after paraffinplasty or silastic sheeting

The long-term hearing results are presented for 135 ears operated on radically. In 59 of the ears temporary paraffin filling of the tympanic cavity was employed after the removal of the tympanic mucosa ot operation. The filling material was removed, and the ossiculoplasty was performed about 6 months later. In 76 ears a one-stage operation with tympanoplasty and Silastic sheeting was employed. There were no statistical differences between the groups of ears mentioned according to hearing results early (1 year) or late (5-15 years) postoperatively or in the deterioration of the air-bone gaps after the first postoperative year (P greater than 0.05). The late change in the air-bone gap was significant in both groups (paraffin group: 6.1 dB; Silastic sheeting group: 5.7 dB; P less than 0.05). The total improvement of hearing late after surgery (as compared to the preoperative hearing) was significantly better in the paraffin group than in ears with Silastic sheeting (P less than 0.05). Paraffinplasty seems to be a suitable way to avoid tympanic adhesions.