title: Outcomes of type I tympanoplasty using a cartilage shield graft in patients with poor prognostic factors.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Although fascia is widely used as the grafting material in tympanoplasty (TP), unsatisfactory outcomes can result in patients with poor prognostic factors. Recently, cartilage has emerged as a graft material in TP. This study examined the operative outcomes of type I TP using a cartilage shield graft (CSG) in patients with poor prognostic factors.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study reviewed the medical records of patients who underwent type I TP using CSG performed by the same surgeon, with over 24 months of follow-up.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 94 patients (mean age 46 years). Preoperatively, 39 patients had near-total perforation, 29 had a previous TP or myringoplasty, 14 had adhesive otitis media, and 12 had a marginal perforation covering ≥50% of the tympanic membrane area. The mean postoperative air-bone gap was significantly (p<0.0001) reduced compared to preoperative measurements. Postoperatively, tympanic membrane perforation occurred in 2.1% and otorrhea in 6.4%. There were no cases of retraction, adhesion, or lateralization. One subject complained of autophonia and ear fullness.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Type I TP using CSG has excellent surgical results and minimal complications, even in patients with poor prognostic factors, and should thus be considered in those patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Inje University College of Medicine, Busan Paik Hospital, Busan, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: heokw96@daum.net.
authors.forename: Kyung Wook
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Heo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001301:Audiometry, Pure-Tone; D002648:Child; D004425:Ear Cartilage / Q000637:transplantation*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009225:Myringoplasty; D010033:Otitis Media / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018058:Tympanic Membrane Perforation / Q000601:surgery*; D014433:Tympanoplasty; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Cartilage; Prognosis; Tympanic membrane perforation; Tympanoplasty