[Healing rates, cholesteatoma occurrence and functional results in overlay and underlay techniques for myringoplasty...

From a total of 91 myringoplasties, 42% of the grafts used were placed medial to the tympanic membrane while 58% were placed laterally. Successful closures of the perforation were achieved in 68% of the first group and in 62% of the second group. Grafting with canal skin during the procedure or the size of the mastoid air cell system (as demonstrated by x-ray) failed to influence graft success. Cholesteatomas were found in 13% of the patients undergoing overlay techniques but in only 3% of the underlay grafts. Air-bone gaps at 500, 1,000 and 2,000 Hz averaged 12.9 dB preoperatively, and were 4.8 dB postoperatively in patients with medially-placed grafts and 7.4 dB in those patients with the lateral grafts.