Effectiveness of Kobayashi plug for 252 ears with chronic patulous Eustachian tube.
CONCLUSIONS
Trans-tympanic plugging of the Eustachian tube (ET) with the silicone plug (Kobayashi Plug) induced long-term effectiveness for over 80% of chronic and severe patulous ET (PET) patients. The New Kobayashi Plug was more effective with fewer complication of plug descent to the pharyngeal orifice.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effectiveness and complications of trans-tympanic plugging of the ET using a Kobayashi Plug for chronic PET.


METHODS
Trans-tympanic plugging of the ET using the Kobayashi Plug was performed for 252 ears of 191 patients. The Prototype Plug (115 ears of 82 patients in 2001-2007) and the New Plug (137 ears of 109 patients in 2008-2013) were inserted for chronic PET patients.


RESULTS
The success rate of the Kobayashi Plug for PET was 83.0% of a total (Prototype Plug 80.0%, New Plug 85.4%). In 26 ears, the Prototype Plugs were found to have descended toward the nasopharynx. Conversely, this did not happen with the New Plug. The rate of TM perforation (Prototype 22.6%, New 17.5%), middle ear effusion (Prototype 20.2%, New 10.2%) and ventilation tube placement (Prototype 14.8%, New 4.4%) decreased after transition to the New Plug.
a Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery , Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine , Sendai , Japan.|b Department of Otolaryngology , Japan Community Health Care Organization (JCHO) Sendai-Hospital , Sendai , Japan.
Toshiaki
T
Kikuchi
a Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery , Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine , Sendai , Japan.|c Sen-En Rifu Otological Surgery Center , Miyagi , Japan.
Ryoukichi
R
Ikeda
a Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery , Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine , Sendai , Japan.
Hidetoshi
H
Oshima
a Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery , Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine , Sendai , Japan.
Iori
I
Takata
a Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery , Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine , Sendai , Japan.
Tetsuaki
T
Kawase
d Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery , Nihon University , Tokyo , Japan.
Takeshi
T
Oshima
a Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery , Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine , Sendai , Japan.
Yukio
Y
Katori
a Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery , Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine , Sendai , Japan.|c Sen-En Rifu Otological Surgery Center , Miyagi , Japan.
Toshimitsu
T
Kobayashi
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005064:Eustachian Tube / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013506:Otologic Surgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000295:instrumentation*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
Patulous Eustachian tube; silicone plug; trans-tympanic ET plugging