A prospective case series evaluating a novel surgical technique, known as the inside-out raising mucosal-tympanomeatal flap technique, has shown promising outcomes in repairing large marginal perforations in the ear and improving hearing. This study was published in the journal BMC Surgery by Yangting Zhang and Zhengcai Lou.
Researchers enrolled 48 patients with large marginal perforations who underwent endoscopic cartilage myringoplasty using this innovative technique. The study aimed to assess graft success rates, hearing outcomes, and complications at the 12-month postoperative mark.
The findings revealed encouraging results. Among the participants, 81% had large perforations, 14.6% had subtotal perforations, and only 4.2% exhibited total perforations. The surgical procedure's mean duration was recorded at 38.6 ± 7.1 minutes.
At the 12-month follow-up, the graft success rate was an impressive 89.6% (43 out of 48 patients). Additionally, hearing outcomes significantly improved, as indicated by a reduction in the mean air-bone gap from 25.6 ± 5.2 dB preoperatively to 16.5 ± 4.1 dB postoperatively at 12 months (p = 0.001). This improvement reflects a substantial enhancement in hearing abilities following the surgical intervention.
Moreover, the study reported a functional success rate of 85.4% (41 out of 48 patients), signifying positive outcomes beyond just graft success. Notably, none of the patients experienced worsened sensorineural hearing loss or complications related to the graft, such as lateralization, significant blunting, or medialization, during the follow-up period.
The conclusion drawn from this study suggests that employing the inside-out raising mucosal-tympanomeatal flap technique for endoscopic cartilage-perichondrium myringoplasty in repairing large marginal perforations yields satisfactory graft outcomes with minimal complications. This novel technique offers hope for individuals with such ear perforations, showing potential as a reliable and effective surgical approach.
This study's results signify a significant advancement in ear surgery techniques and highlight the potential of innovative approaches to improve patient outcomes in ear-related procedures.
Reference:
Zhang, Y., & Lou, Z. Inside-out raising mucosal-tympanomeatal flap approach for the repair of large marginal perforations. BMC Surgery,2023;23(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12893-023-02286-y