The surgical treatment of chronic otitis media in children

Area of Science:

• Otolaryngology
• Pediatric Surgery
• Surgical Outcomes

Background:

• Tympanoplasty is a surgical procedure to repair the eardrum.
• Evaluating surgical techniques in pediatric patients is crucial for long-term hearing health.
• Comparing transcanal and combined approach tympanoplasty in children requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To document and compare the outcomes of transcanal tympanoplasty versus combined approach tympanoplasty in patients aged 12 years and under.
• To assess the efficacy of each surgical approach in terms of disease control and hearing improvement.
• To evaluate the need for revision surgeries in both techniques.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 150 tympanoplasty cases in patients aged 12 years and under.
• Categorization of procedures into transcanal tympanoplasty (71 ears) and combined approach tympanoplasty (79 ears).
• Documentation of initial procedure success rates and rates of revision operations for each approach.

Main Results:

• Transcanal tympanoplasty: 12 of 69 intended single procedures required revision.
• Combined approach tympanoplasty: 17 of 42 intended single procedures required revision.
• Hearing improvement and disease control data were analyzed for both techniques.

Conclusions:

• Combined approach tympanoplasty is best justified when performed as a staged procedure.
• Staged combined approach tympanoplasty may enhance ossiculoplasty outcomes.
• Both techniques showed varying rates of revision, highlighting the need for careful surgical planning in pediatric tympanoplasty.