Revision tympanoplasty: surgical findings and results in Riyadh

A report on the surgical findings and long-term results of 68 revision tympanoplasties performed at King Abdul Aziz University Hospital over a period of 7 years is presented. Temporalis fascia was used in all operations, with an overall success rate of 85% of graft take up, with significant improvement of hearing in the majority of cases. The causes of immediate failure were found to be due to faulty surgical techniques, however most of the late reperforations were due to infections and in some to atrophy of the graft. It is concluded that better surgical technique and improvement of medical facilities in most rural areas are of utmost importance in Saudi Arabia.