title: Long-term results of plastipore prostheses in reconstruction of the middle ear ossicular chain.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the acoustic results over a long period of time, in patients who underwent ossiculoplasty with Plastipore, and to report the percentage of prosthesis extrusion and factors related to the prognosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-two patients, who underwent ossiculoplasty with Plastipore, were studied. Patients were followed up for the next 14 years. The surgical procedures were classified as: tympanoplasty, tympanoplasty with mastoidectomy with canal wall up, and tympanoplasty with mastoidectomy with canal wall down. A successful hearing result was defined as a postoperative air-bone gap (ABG) of 20 dB or less.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Successful results were seen in 65% of our patients, 68.8% with a partial ossicular replacement prosthesis (PORP) and a 62.5% success rate with a total ossicular replacement prosthesis (TORP). The mean value for ABG improvement was 25.5 dB. Prosthesis extrusion occurred in 4.7%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The ossiculoplasty-Plastipore technique leads to good hearing results and a low percentage of prosthesis extrusion in long-term follow-ups.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Medical School, University of Athens, Ippokration Hospital, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Eleftheriadou
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Chalastras
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Georgopoulos
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yiotakis
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Manolopoulos
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Iliadis
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Charalabopoulos
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kandiloros
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001844:Bone Conduction; D004424:Ear Canal / Q000601:surgery; D004429:Ear Ossicles / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008416:Mastoid / Q000601:surgery; D008875:Middle Aged; D009998:Ossicular Prosthesis; D019933:Ossicular Replacement; D010033:Otitis Media / Q000601:surgery*; D011095:Polyethylenes; D011126:Polypropylenes; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014433:Tympanoplasty; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: C016674:Plastipore; D011095:Polyethylenes; D011126:Polypropylenes