Eustachian Tube Dilation via a Transtympanic Approach in 6 Cadaver Heads: A Feasibility Study.
The goal of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of endoscopic transtympanic balloon dilation of the cartilaginous eustachian tube. To accomplish this, transtympanic balloon dilation of the cartilaginous eustachian tube was performed on 11 eustachian tubes (6 cadaver heads). The balloon catheter was introduced and passed through the protympanic orifice of the eustachian tube transtympanically under endoscopic view and cannulated without incident in all cadavers. Computed tomography was then performed postprocedure to evaluate for inadvertent dilation of the bony eustachian tube, adverse placement of the balloon, or any bony fractures. The balloon was seen to be successfully inflated in the cartilaginous portion without damage to surrounding structures in all cases. This demonstrates that under endoscopic guidance, the protympanic orifice of the eustachian tube can be feasibly cannulated and reliably traversed, allowing for targeted dilation of the cartilaginous eustachian tube from a transtympanic approach.
Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, LSU Health Shreveport, Shreveport, Louisiana, USA; Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, Texas, USA; Vitruvio Institute for Medical Advancement, Dallas, Texas, USA marc.dean@gmail.com.
Marc
M
Dean
Department of Otolaryngology and Communication Enhancement, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Department of Otolaryngology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Keelung, Taiwan; Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
Wei-Chieh
WC
Chao
Department of Otolaryngology and Communication Enhancement, Boston Children's Hospital, and Department of Otolaryngology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Dennis
D
Poe
D002102:Cadaver; D003287:Contrast Media; D004106:Dilatation / Q000379:methods*; D004724:Endoscopy / Q000379:methods; D005064:Eustachian Tube / Q000601:surgery*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D006801:Humans; D007472:Iohexol; D013506:Otologic Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
D003287:Contrast Media; D007472:Iohexol
auditory tube; balloon; dilatation; dilation; eustachian tube; otologic endoscopy; transtympanic