Functional results of temporalis fascia versus cartilage tympanoplasty in patients with bilateral chronic otitis media.
OBJECTIVE
To compare the functional results of type I tympanoplasty performed with either temporalis fascia or a perichondrium and cartilage island flap, in patients with bilateral chronic otitis media.


METHODS
The study included primary tympanoplasty cases with a subtotal perforation, an intact ossicular chain, a dry ear for at least one month and normal middle-ear mucosa, together with contralateral tympanic membrane perforation. Temporalis fascia tympanoplasty was undertaken in 41 patients, and cartilage tympanoplasty in 39 patients.


RESULTS
The graft success rate was 65.9 per cent for the fascia group and 92.3 per cent for the cartilage group. Post-operatively, the mean ± standard deviation air conduction threshold was 28.54 ± 14.20 dB for the fascia group and 22.97 ± 8.37 dB for the cartilage group, while the mean ± standard deviation bone conduction threshold was 11.71 ± 8.50 dB for the fascia group and 7.15 ± 5.56 dB for the cartilage group.


CONCLUSIONS
In patients with bilateral chronic otitis media, cartilage tympanoplasty seems to provide better hearing results and graft success rates.
Clinic I, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Izmir Ataturk Research and Training Hospital, Izmir, Turkey.
K
K
Onal
S
S
Arslanoglu
M
M
Songu
U
U
Demiray
I A
IA
Demirpehlivan
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001844:Bone Conduction / Q000502:physiology; D002356:Cartilage / Q000637:transplantation*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005205:Fascia / Q000637:transplantation*; D005260:Female; D006085:Graft Survival; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010033:Otitis Media / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D011379:Prognosis; D013524:Surgical Flaps; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014432:Tympanic Membrane / Q000601:surgery; D018058:Tympanic Membrane Perforation / Q000601:surgery*; D014433:Tympanoplasty / Q000379:methods*; D055815:Young Adult