Related Experiment Videos
Surgery for glue ear: the English epidemic wanes
1Department of Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
Objectives:
To describe the progress of the epidemic of surgery for glue ear since 1983 and trends in the use of different operative procedures.
Design:
Analysis of routine hospital data.
Setting:
Thirteen health districts in the Oxford and East Anglian regions.
Main Measures:
Annual rates of surgery in children under 10 years of age.
Results:
The rate of surgery for glue ear reached a peak in 1986 since when it has declined by 12.6%. The rate peaked in all 13 districts but at different times over a six year period (1984-1989/90). Following the peak, district rates plateaued in eight districts and declined in five. These changes have been accompanied by: an increase in the proportion of operations confined to the tympanic membrane since 1983 (from 40% to 60%); an increase in the use of grommets after myringotomy (from 50% to 94% since 1980); and an increased use of day surgery for ear-only operations (from about 10% in the late 1970s to 50% in 1987/88).
Conclusions:
The previously reported epidemic of surgery for glue ear is waning. This seems to be a result of changes in the clinical judgment of general practitioners and surgeons as to its use and possibly of a reduced demand from parents.