title: Mastoid obliteration with silicone blocks after canal wall down mastoidectomy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the usefulness of silicone blocks as graft material for mastoid cavity obliteration in the prevention of problematic mastoid cavities after canal wall down mastoidectomies.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective evaluation of 20 patients who underwent mastoid obliteration with silicone blocks between 2002 and 2009 at the Chonnam National University Hospital. The cases consisted of 17 patients with chronic otitis media with cholesteatoma and 3 patients with adhesive otitis media. The postoperative follow-up period was an average 49 months (range, 6 to 90 months). The surgical technique used at our institution composed four major steps: First, the canal wall down mastoidectomy was performed and the middle ear procedure was completed. The silicone blocks were used to fill up the mastoidectomized cavity. Then, a cortical bone pate was used to cover the surface of the silicone blocks. Finally, temporalis fascia and a split musculoperiosteal flap were used to surround the bone pate for reinforcement of the reconstructed canal wall. We examined postoperative success rate and hearing outcomes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In 19 cases (95%), the reconstructed canal wall maintained a cylindrical shape and the ear drum healed without perforation. In only 1 case (5%), the reconstructed canal wall was destroyed with ear drum perforation. The mean improvement in air-bone gap was about 12 dB (P<0.05), and the mean improvement in air-conduction was about 16 dB (P<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We suggest that silicone blocks could be valuable resources as graft materials for mastoid obliteration after canal wall down mastoidectomies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Korea.
authors.forename: Sung Woo
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Yong-Bum
authors.initials: YB
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Hyong-Ho
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Cho