title: Graft take-rates after tympanoplasty: results from a prospective ear surgery database.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To present a prospective ear surgery database and investigate the graft take-rate and prognostic factors for graft take-rate in tympanoplasty using the database.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective database study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Tertiary referral center.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 1606 cases undergoing tympanoplasty types I to IV were registered in the database in the period from February 2004 to November 2013.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 837 cases underwent myringoplasty/tympanoplasty type I.
  
  
  METHODS
  Graft take-rate and prognostic factors (age, discharge at time of surgery, tuba function, technique, graft material, and revision surgery) for tympanoplasty type I were studied. A comparison with the graft take-rates for tympanoplasty types II to IV and/or cholesteatoma was made.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A user-friendly ear surgery database with fast data entry and direct import of audiometric data was developed. The graft take-rate was found to be 93.0% at 2 to 6 months and 86.6% at more than 12 months. Except for a discharging ear at the time of surgery, no significant differences using χ² test of association were found when comparing graft take-rates for different prognostic factors or more advanced tympanoplasty with or without cholesteatoma. A long-term graft take-rate overestimation of 6% was found if cases with defaulted follow-up because of early reperforation were not included.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A prospective database can be used to study prognostic factors and reduce bias in reporting the graft take-rate. Prospective databases are needed for high-quality longitudinal studies but require a continuous and daily effort of involved surgeons and therefore need to be convenient and fast to use.
authors.affiliation: *Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen; and †Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Maxillofacial Surgery, Køge University Hospital, Køge, Denmark.
authors.forename: Steven Arild Wuyts
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Andersen
authors.forename: Kristine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Aabenhus
authors.forename: Henrik
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Glad
authors.forename: Mads Sølvsten
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Sørensen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001299:Audiometry; D018424:Cholesteatoma, Middle Ear / Q000601:surgery*; D016208:Databases, Factual; D004432:Ear, Middle / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009225:Myringoplasty / Q000379:methods*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014433:Tympanoplasty / Q000379:methods*; D055815:Young Adult