title: Two-stage aural atresia and stenosis surgery with the use of synthetic skin substitute.
abstract: CONCLUSIONS
  With this technique, patency rates achieved in congenital external ear canal (EAC) atresia/stenosis and improvement in hearing were evaluated as 'good' and 'satisfactory', respectively.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We aimed to test the efficacy of a novel two-stage technique in preventing restenosis following atresioplasty.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nine patients with congenital EAC atresia/stenosis comprised our cases. We performed 10 atresioplasties using the two-stage technique described below. In the first stage, the ear canal is drilled and its wall is covered with a synthetic skin replacement that induces proliferation of a soft tissue; in the second stage this is lined underneath with split thickness skin graft. Operations were complemented with tympanoplasties in five of the patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Nine (91%) of 10 operations carried out with the technique were largely successful in terms of patency. The achieved average hearing gain was air conduction/bone conduction (Ac/Bc): 31.33/9.44 dBHL (21.89 in the air-bone gap), while the postoperative air-bone conduction gap was changed to <30 dBHL in eight (88.9%) of the patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology Head & Neck Surgery, Yuzuncuyil University Medical Faculty, Van, Turkey. nadir_yildirim@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Nadir
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yildirim
authors.forename: Nadir
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yildirim
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sahan
authors.forename: Fikret
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kasapoğlu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003251:Constriction, Pathologic / Q000151:congenital / Q000601:surgery; D004424:Ear Canal / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013506:Otologic Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D017768:Skin, Artificial; D055815:Young Adult