Effect of cartilage tympanoplasty operation on compliance and hearing results

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BOZDEMİR K., ERCAN M. K., ÖNAY Ö., ÇALLIOĞLU E. E.

Northwestern Medical Journal, vol.3, no.2, pp.67-73, 2023 (TRDizin)

Abstract

Aim: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of cartilage island grafts used in type 1 tympanoplasty surgery on compliance and hearing results. Methods: In this retrospective study, the medical records of patients who underwent type 1 tympanoplasty between May 2019 and December 2021 were reviewed. A total of 40 patients were included in the study. Preoperative audiological and tympanometry test results were compared with 6-month postoperative results. The effect of cartilage island graft on compliance and hearing levels was compared, preoperatively and postoperatively at the 6th-month follow-up. Results: Forty percent of patients were male, and 60% were female (n=24). The mean age of patients was 41,2±12.5 years. All postoperative tympanometry results showed a type B tympanogram tracing, as a result, no compliance was detected. At 500 Hz-4000 Hz frequencies, both air conduction hearing levels and air-bone gap thresholds showed a statistically significant improvement (p<0.001). Speech recognition threshold also increased after surgery (p<0.001). However, there was no statistically significant change (p>0.01) in Speech discrimination rate. Conclusion: Cartilage island grafts could be considered an appropriate surgical option for type 1 tympanoplasty because it leads to a significant gain in terms of hearing outcomes. The correction effects on both hearing levels and speech recognition thresholds were statistically significant in our results. No better compliance result was observed, all tympanometry tracing results showed a type B tympanogram after type 1 tympanoplasty with island cartilage graft. This result may indicate a decreased elasticity in the tympano ossicular chain by cartilage island grafting.