title: Outcome and cost analysis of bilateral sequential same-day cartilage tympanoplasty compared with bilateral staged tympanoplasty.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Few studies have compared bilateral same-day with staged tympanoplasty using cartilage graft materials.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective randomised observational study was performed of 38 chronic suppurative otitis media patients (76 ears) who were assigned to undergo bilateral sequential same-day tympanoplasty (18 patients, 36 ears) or bilateral sequential tympanoplasty performed 3 months apart (20 patients, 40 ears). Disease duration, intra-operative findings, combined duration of surgery, post-operative graft appearance at 6 weeks, post-operative complications, re-do rate and relative cost of surgery were recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Tympanic membrane perforations were predominantly subtotal (p = 0.36, odds ratio = 0.75). Most grafts were harvested from the conchal cartilage and fewer from the tragus (p = 0.59, odds ratio = 1.016). Types of complication, post-operative hearing gain and revision rates were similar in both patient groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Surgical outcomes are not significantly different for same-day and bilateral cartilage tympanoplasty, but same-day surgery has the added benefit of a lower cost.
authors.affiliation: ENT Department,National Hospital Abuja,Nigeria.
authors.forename: A D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Olusesi
authors.affiliation: ENT Department,National Hospital Abuja,Nigeria.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Oyeniran
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D002356:Cartilage / Q000637:transplantation; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D009225:Myringoplasty / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods; D010035:Otitis Media, Suppurative / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012086:Reoperation / Q000191:economics; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D018058:Tympanic Membrane Perforation / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D014433:Tympanoplasty / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods
keywords: Cartilage; Costs and Cost Analysis; Otitis Media; Tympanoplasty