title: Paper patching for chronic tympanic membrane perforations.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study was designed to evaluate the results of paper-patch myringoplasty in patients with chronic perforations of the tympanic membrane of different sizes.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective survey of paper-patch myringoplasties performed in a tertiary referral academic medical center on 77 patients with chronic perforations of the eardrum was carried out. Data consisted of the causes of the perforations, time the perforations had been present, their size, number of patch applications, duration of application, and number of successfully closed perforations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Closure rate was 63.2%, 43.5%, and 12.5% for small, medium, and large perforations, respectively. Small perforations needed the least number of repeated applications and the least time for closure.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Paper patching is technically simple, time saving, safe to perform, cost effective, and suitable as an outpatient procedure and has a good success rate, It should be tried in perforations smaller than 5 mm before a patient is referred for surgery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Rambam Medical Center, Haifa, Israel. golz@netvision.net.il
authors.forename: Avishay
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Golz
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Goldenberg
authors.forename: Aviram
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Netzer
authors.forename: Milo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fradis
authors.forename: S Thomas
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Westerman
authors.forename: Liane M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Westerman
authors.forename: Henry Z
authors.initials: HZ
authors.lastname: Joachims
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010209:Paper; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018058:Tympanic Membrane Perforation / Q000628:therapy*