title: Effect of type I tympanoplasty on the quality of life of children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Quality-of-life issues related to chronic otitis media (COM) include physical symptoms, emotional symptoms, hearing loss, speech symptoms, social symptoms, and parents' emotional symptoms. In this study we evaluated the effects of tympanoplasty on the quality of life of pediatric patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a questionnaire-based outcome study, we reviewed 56 of 78 pediatric patients with COM who were treated with type I tympanoplasty at our institution between December 2008 and February 2010. All patients were asked to fill out the COM-5 questionnaire with their parents, before operation and 6 months after operation. Preoperative and postoperative total ear scores, preoperative and postoperative ear scores with an intact tympanic membrane, preoperative and postoperative ear scores with a perforated tympanic membrane, and preoperative and postoperative audiological results were assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After type I tympanoplasty, 45 patients (80.3%) had successful closure of the tympanic membrane, but 11 patients (19.7%) had unsuccessful closure of the tympanic membrane. There was a significant decrease in physical suffering, hearing loss, emotional distress, activity limitations, and caregiver's concerns scores in patients with intact tympanic membranes after operation (p < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Children with COM had a significant increase in their quality of life after successful tympanoplasty. Our results also suggested that tympanoplasty was successful in pediatric patients with COM.
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Haydarpassa Numune Education and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Tulay Erden
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Habesoglu
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Habesoglu
authors.forename: Ildem
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Deveci
authors.forename: Semra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kulekci
authors.forename: Cigdem
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kalaycik
authors.forename: Tanju
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gokceer
authors.forename: Erol
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Egeli
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010033:Otitis Media / Q000601:surgery*; D011788:Quality of Life; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014433:Tympanoplasty / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology*