SURGICAL OUTCOME IN CHRONIC OTITIS MEDIA: WET VS DRY EAR
Abstract
Introduction. Ear discharge drying before tympanomastoid surgery is an expensive procedure, time wasting. However, some of wet ears never become dry. In this study, we investigated surgical outcome in patients with chronic otitis media (COM) in two kinds of operation field; wet versus dry.
Methods. Fifty three cases with mucopurulent discharge (wet) and forty seven cases without discharge since last 3 months (dry) were operated under tympanomastoid surgery. Surgical outcomes were compaired between two groups in a period (4 to 15 months; mean about 5.5 months).
Results. Graft success rate was 97.6 and 93 percent in wet and dry ears, respectively (P>0.05). Severe post operative discharge (failure of surgery) was similar in two groups. According to the types of ossiculoplasty, hearing recovery was 8.6±15.6 db and 13.8±8.8 db in wet and dry ears, respectively (P>0.05). Radical operation without grafting was performed in nine cases of wet group.
Discussion. High successful grafting in a wet ear may be due to middle ear's hypervascularity. Controversies were denoted in different studies about successful grafting rate or hearing recovery. It may be due to unawareness of pathology or type of ossiculoplasty. In this study, surgical outcomes were similar in wet and dry ears due to mentioned factors in data analysis.
Methods. Fifty three cases with mucopurulent discharge (wet) and forty seven cases without discharge since last 3 months (dry) were operated under tympanomastoid surgery. Surgical outcomes were compaired between two groups in a period (4 to 15 months; mean about 5.5 months).
Results. Graft success rate was 97.6 and 93 percent in wet and dry ears, respectively (P>0.05). Severe post operative discharge (failure of surgery) was similar in two groups. According to the types of ossiculoplasty, hearing recovery was 8.6±15.6 db and 13.8±8.8 db in wet and dry ears, respectively (P>0.05). Radical operation without grafting was performed in nine cases of wet group.
Discussion. High successful grafting in a wet ear may be due to middle ear's hypervascularity. Controversies were denoted in different studies about successful grafting rate or hearing recovery. It may be due to unawareness of pathology or type of ossiculoplasty. In this study, surgical outcomes were similar in wet and dry ears due to mentioned factors in data analysis.
Keywords
CHRONIC OTITIS MEDIA, HEARING, TYMPANOMASTOID SURGERY, SURGERY–OUTCOME