Gelfoam/Gelfilm patching following the removal of ventilation tubes

A follow-up study to document the rate of tympanic membrane perforation following surgical removal of ventilation tubes with Gelfoam/Gelfilm patching in paediatric patients is presented. The initial study performed at The Hospital for Sick Children with no patching following ventilation tube removal had a perforation rate of 10.3%. This follow-up study used Gelfoam/Gelfilm patching of perforations at the time of ventilation tube removal performed between January 1993 and May 1994 at the same hospital. There was sufficient follow-up on 155 ears with (4.5%) documented perforations, a significant difference from the the no-patching technique.