title: The efficacy of CO2 laser myringotomy in serous otitis media.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We evaluated the efficacy of CO2 laser myringotomy combined with adenoidectomy in children with serous otitis media (SOM) unresponsive to medical therapy and compared the recurrences in the follow-up period with the control group who underwent adenoidectomy and ventilation tube (VT) insertion.
  
  
  METHODS
  The CO2 laser myringotomy group included 25 children with a mean age of 5.6 years and there were 10 children with a mean age of 6.3 years in the VT control group. The laser used was a Sharplan 1030 CO2 laser, attached to Zeiss Universal S3 operation microscope with a 300 mm objective, using a Microspot optical delivery system.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean (+/-SD) healing time was 13 (+/-2.16) days in 4 ears with myringotomies less than 2 mm in diameter, and 25 (+/-2.34) days in 46 ears with myringotomies with 2 mm in diameter. During the 6-month follow-up period, there were 11 recurrences (22%) in the CO2 laser group and 4 recurrences (20%) in the control group, which was not statistically significant (p>0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We prefer laser myringotomy in SOM cases who do not need long-time middle ear ventilation; we use the ventilation tubes in cases with thick mucoid effusion and recurrent effusion after laser myringotomy.
authors: Department of Otolaryngology, Medicine Faculty of Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey. bozkurtmetekaan@hotmail.com
authors: Mete Kaan
authors: MK
authors: Bozkurt
authors: Mustafa
authors: M
authors: Calgüner
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053685:Laser Therapy; D008297:Male; D008876:Middle Ear Ventilation / Q000379:methods*; D010034:Otitis Media with Effusion / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012008:Recurrence; D016896:Treatment Outcome