title: Pediatric ossiculoplasty with titanium total ossicular replacement prosthesis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the medium-term efficacy of total ossicular reconstruction with a titanium total ossicular replacement prosthesis (TORP) in children.
  
  
  METHODS
  Case series.
  
  
  METHODS
  A consecutive series of children receiving an adjustable-length titanium TORP was identified from a prospective surgical and audiological database. Audiometric testing was obtained preoperatively, 2 months postoperatively, and subsequently at 6- to 12-month intervals. Four-frequency pure-tone averages (PTA) were determined for air conduction (AC) and bone conduction thresholds, as well as air-bone gap (ABG). Pre- and postoperative measures were compared to determine degree of improvement. The proportion with successful outcome (defined as ≤ 30 dB hearing level [HL] AC) was determined over time with Kaplan-Meier analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seventy-five TORPs were inserted in 71 children aged 7 to 18 years, with a median follow-up of 2.7 years (0.6-5.5 years). The mean postoperative PTA AC threshold and ABG at 1 year were 35 dB HL and 29 dB, respectively, with ABG closure of 14 dB. The maximum gain in AC was 40 dB, achieved in eight (11%) cases. Successful outcome was seen in 50% of children at first follow-up. Over the following 1 to 3 years, hearing levels deteriorated to AC > 30 dB HL in an additional 10% of patients. Four patients had revision surgery, one for prosthesis extrusion and three for a lack of improvement in hearing.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Titanium TORPs offer children an effective method of ossicular reconstruction, with infrequent extrusion at least in the short term. The hearing improvement achieved in the early postoperative period appears to be maintained over the first year but may not be sustained over longer time periods.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario.
authors.forename: Nikolaus E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Wolter
authors.forename: Theresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Holler
authors.forename: Sharon L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Cushing
authors.forename: Neil K
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Chadha
authors.forename: Karen A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Gordon
authors.forename: Adrian L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: James
authors.forename: Blake C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Papsin
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D018424:Cholesteatoma, Middle Ear / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006309:Hearing / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009998:Ossicular Prosthesis; D019933:Ossicular Replacement / Q000379:methods*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011474:Prosthesis Design; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Ossicular reconstruction; cholesteatoma; hearing loss; pediatric; titanium prosthesis