Is a community-based mastoid microsuction service feasible: the audit of a pilot project

Patients who have had a mastoidectomy form a considerable long-term follow-up commitment to their local ENT Department. A community-based mastoid aural toilet pilot project run by a GP is described using an operating microscope and suction apparatus in his surgery. To obtain the necessary information about community treatment, an audit was performed of all mastoidectomy patients from a large general practice in Portsmouth: 57 mastoidectomy patients were reviewed. During the project it was possible to transfer to the community microsuction project the long-term care of most of their mastoidectomy patients who were attending the hospital ENT outpatient clinic.