title: Over-under myringoplasty.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the success rate of over-under technique of myringoplasty regarding rate of graft take, complications and hearing improvement.
  
  
  METHODS
  Quasi-experimental study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Fauji Foundation Hospital, Rawalpindi from March 2003 to January 2005.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 68 patients having dry central tympanic membrane perforations of various sizes secondary to chronic tubotympanic suppurative otitis media were included in the study. Over-under technique of myringoplasty was used to repair the tympanic membrane perforation. Outcome measures were graft success i.e., full or partial take, no perforation, atelactasis or lateralization within 6 months of operation and improvement in hearing.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixtysix patients (97%) out of 68 had full graft take at six months of follow-up. Only one (1.5%) met with graft failure and another one (1.5%) had partial graft take. Delayed perforation was noted in two patients (3%), both of these were 10 months after surgery. Atelactasis was seen in only one patient (1.5%) eight months after operation. Lateralization did not occur in any patient. Hearing improvement was noticed in 67 (98.5%) patients. Average air bone gap decreased by 12.65 dB.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Over-under myringoplasty is an effective technique of repairing the tympanic membrane perforation due to high rate of graft take, few complications and marked hearing improvement.
authors.affiliation: Department of ENT, Foundation University Medical College, Rawalpindi.
authors.forename: Zafar
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.forename: Muhammad Azeem
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Aslam
authors.forename: Muhammad Javaid
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Aslam
authors.forename: Atif
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sharif
authors.forename: Malik Iftikhar
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Ahmed
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009225:Myringoplasty / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D018058:Tympanic Membrane Perforation / Q000601:surgery*