title: Congenital aural atresia and stenosis: surgery strategies and long-term results.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the patients who underwent surgery for congenital aural atresia (CAA) with congenital aural stenosis (CAS) for the stability of hearing results and complications during long-term follow-up.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective review.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy-five CAA patients and fifty CAS patients who underwent congenital meatoplasty with canalplasty and tympanoplasty between 2007 and 2012.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Paired comparison analyses detected no significant difference in preoperative ABG but significant changes in postoperative ABG, ΔABG, the number of ABG < 30 dB and ABG < 10 dB between CAA and CAS. Complications such as postoperative stenosis, bony regrowth, external aural canal (EAC) infection, EAC eczema, total deaf, and lateralization of the tympanic membrane (TM) were observed in 61.3% of patients with CAA and 20% of patients with CAS. Chi square test detected significant differences in complications between patients with CAA and CAS (χ(2) = 20.73, p < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Meatoplasty with canalplasty and tympanoplasty in individuals with CAS can yield reliable and lasting positive hearing results with a low incidence of severe complications. The existence and preoperative condition of patients' TM and EAC skin helped improve hearing results and decrease the incidence of complications. However, the final hearing results and complications required stricter indications for CAA patients.
authors.affiliation: * Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Eye & ENT Hospital, Fudan University , Shanghai , China.
authors.forename: Chenlong
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Tianyu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yaoyao
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.forename: Fenghua
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Qing
authors.forename: Fanglu
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Chi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001301:Audiometry, Pure-Tone; D001307:Auditory Perception; D001844:Bone Conduction; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002648:Child; D000013:Congenital Abnormalities / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D003251:Constriction, Pathologic; D004423:Ear / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D004431:Ear, External / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013506:Otologic Surgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014433:Tympanoplasty; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Pediatric; hearing conservation; medical audiology; middle ear