Outcome of mobile ear surgery units in Thailand.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the outcome of mobile ear surgery, in terms of tympanic membrane perforation closure, absence of otorrhoea and hearing threshold improvement.


METHODS
Descriptive study.


METHODS
The study enrolled patients with chronic ear disorders requiring surgery who presented to the mobile ear surgery unit at Sakaeo Hospital, Thailand, from 1 to 4 July 2008. The following data were recorded: pre-operative audiogram, post-operative middle-ear and mastoid infection, wound infection, graft condition, any complications, and post-operative audiogram. Patients were followed up at one week, two weeks, four weeks and 24 weeks post-operatively.


RESULTS
For the 31 cases of tympanic membrane perforation, the closure rate was 90.3 per cent. For the 32 patients with otorrhoea, the rate of ear dryness was 87.5 per cent. All 35 patients had impaired hearing initially; the rate of hearing improvement was 74.3 per cent (95 per cent confidence intervals = 56.7-87.5 per cent). Patients' mean hearing improvement was 22.9 dB.


CONCLUSIONS
The assessed ear surgery procedures had good results.
Snidvongs
K
K
Department of Otolaryngology, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand. drkornkiat@yahoo.com
Vatanasapt
P
P
Thanaviratananich
S
S
Pothaporn
M
M
Sannikorn
P
P
Supiyaphun
P
P
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002558:Cerebrospinal Fluid Otorrhea / Q000601:surgery; D002648:Child; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration; D004427:Ear Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006309:Hearing / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008507:Medically Underserved Area; D008875:Middle Aged; D008952:Mobile Health Units; D013506:Otologic Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013785:Thailand; D018058:Tympanic Membrane Perforation / Q000601:surgery; D055815:Young Adult