title: Hearing outcomes in functional surgery for middle ear malformations.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To standardize the information for families of children having functional surgery for middle ear malformations, we describe the audiometric results of the subgroup of patients with the most favorable anatomic conditions: viable auditory canal, intact tympanic membrane, mobile stapes, and corresponding to a Jahrsdoerfer score of 8 or higher.
  
  
  METHODS
  Case series, tertiary referral center.
  
  
  METHODS
  Charts of patients undergoing functional surgery for congenital middle ear malformations were reviewed for demographic data, preoperative Jahrsdoerfer score, ossicular chain status, type of ossiculoplasty, and audiometric data before and 6 months postsurgery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eighteen consecutive interventions were performed on 13 patients (average age of 9 years, 8 girls and 5 boys) between 2004 and 2011. The ossiculoplasties performed were as follows: incus repositioning (4), double-layer tragal cartilage (5), intact native chain reconstruction (3), and partial ossicular prosthesis (6). Mean air bone gap (ABG) was 40.8 ± 12.4 dB preoperatively and 20.9 ± 12.9 dB postoperatively (p < 0.0001). Preoperative and postoperatively mean air conduction PTA thresholds were 49.9 ± 9.5 and 30.0 ± 14.1 dB, respectively (p < 0.0001). All ears operated on except one had air conduction improvement. There were no complications.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Functional surgery for congenital middle ear malformations gives variable hearing outcomes. In this study, with the most favorable anatomic conditions, 12 ears (67%) of 18 had air conduction improvement below 30 dB.
authors.affiliation: *Service d'ORL et de chirurgie Cervicofaciale, CHU de Québec, Université Laval, Québec, Canada; and †Plateforme de recherche clinique, Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec et Faculté de médecine, Université Laval, Québec, Canada.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Philippon
authors.forename: Nathalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Laflamme
authors.forename: Nicolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Leboulanger
authors.forename: Natalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Loundon
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Rouillon
authors.forename: Erea-Noel
authors.initials: EN
authors.lastname: Garabedian
authors.forename: Francoise
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Denoyelle
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001299:Audiometry; D001309:Auditory Threshold; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004432:Ear, Middle / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006314:Hearing Loss, Conductive / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009998:Ossicular Prosthesis; D019933:Ossicular Replacement / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014433:Tympanoplasty