title: Type III tympanoplasties: the Sherbrooke experience.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To review short- and longer-term results of type III tympanoplasties as performed by the senior author and to compare these results with those reported in the literature.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective review of 96 type III tympanoplasties, with and without mastoidectomy, performed between April 1996 and August 2000.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At a mean of 384 days postoperatively, 57.3% of patients had an air-bone gap of less than 20 dB. The average postoperative gap is 21.4 dB. Gap closure is best at 2000 Hz, with an average drop of 51% from initial value, compared with 34%, 39%, and 18% at 500, 1000, and 4000 Hz, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results are similar to those published previously. We emphasize the improvement at 2000 Hz, which is an important frequency for speech discrimination. It would be interesting to see if it correlates with an improvement in quality of life.
authors.affiliation: Division of Otolaryngology, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Sherbrooke, Fleurimont, Quebec.
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Guilbeault
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rouleau
authors.forename: Dominique
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dorion
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001299:Audiometry; D002648:Child; D004427:Ear Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D004432:Ear, Middle / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D034381:Hearing Loss / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D020127:Recovery of Function / Q000502:physiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013067:Speech Perception / Q000502:physiology; D013997:Time Factors; D014433:Tympanoplasty / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*