Myringoplasty: impact of perforation size on closure and audiological improvement.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the impact of perforation size and other variables on the success of myringoplasty, and also to determine audiological gain following successful closure of tympanic membrane perforations of various sizes.


METHODS
Retrospective analysis of 130 case notes.


METHODS
(1) Successful closure of tympanic membrane following myringoplasty, in relation to recorded variables (i.e. perforation size, grade of surgeon, surgical technique, graft material, previous myringoplasty and smoking history). (2) Mean, four-frequency, air conduction audiometric gain following successful myringoplasty for various, pre-operatively categorised tympanic membrane perforation sizes.


CONCLUSIONS
The collective myringoplasty success rate was 80.8 per cent (105/130); for successful patients, the mean air conduction audiometric gain was -6.8 dB (t = 5.29, p < 0.0001). Neither perforation size nor any other assessed variable was a statistically significant determinant factor for successful myringoplasty. Air conduction audiometric gains following successful myringoplasty were directly correlated with pre-operative perforation size (-4.0 dB for 0-20 per cent perforations, -5.0 dB for 21-40 per cent, -9.1 dB for 41-60 per cent, -10.8 dB for 61-80 per cent and -13.3 dB for 81-100 per cent).
Wasson
J D
JD
Department of Otolaryngology, Luton and Dunstable Hospital, UK. josephwasson@hotmail.com
Papadimitriou
C E
CE
Pau
H
H
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001309:Auditory Threshold / Q000502:physiology*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009225:Myringoplasty / Q000379:methods*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D018058:Tympanic Membrane Perforation / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D055815:Young Adult