Efficacy of balloon Eustachian tuboplasty on the quality of life in children with Eustachian tube dysfunction

Abstract

Background: Balloon Eustachian Tuboplasty (BET) is used as a second-line treatment in cases in which adenoidectomy, paracentesis, and VT have failed. However, studies have not investigated the efficacy of this procedure as a first-line treatment.

Objectives: To evaluate the quality of life in children with chronic Eustachian tube dysfunction (ETD) after BET using the Otitis Media-6 (OM-6) questionnaire.

Methods: We retrospectively evaluated the data of 62 children with chronic dysfunction ETD and divided patients into the following groups: 30 cases underwent BET (group 1), and 32 cases underwent ventilation tube (VT) insertion from July 2016 to April 2018. The children’s parents were instructed to complete the OM-6 questionnaire preoperatively and at 6 weeks and 1 year postoperatively.

Results:. The average preoperative scores were higher than the postoperative scores, and the average 6-week postoperative scores were higher than the average 1-year postoperative scores for both groups 1 and 2. Further, the average 6-week postoperative scores from patients in group 2 were significantly higher than those in group 1.

Conclusion and significance: Our results demonstrate that BET may be a safe, first-line intervention that positively effects the quality of life in children with chronic ETD.

Chinese abstract

背景：气囊式咽鼓管成形术（BET）是在腺样体切除术、穿刺术和VT都失败的情况下采用的二线疗法。然而, 还没有任何研究对该疗法作为一线治疗的效果进行调查。

目的：采用中耳炎-6（OM-6）问卷, 评价患慢性咽鼓管功能不全（ETD）的儿童在接受BET疗法后的生活质量。

方法：回顾性分析62例ETD患儿的临床资料, 将其分组如下：2016年7月至2018年4月, 30例接受BET治疗（组1）, 32例接受通气管置入术（VT）。要求患儿家长在术前以及术后6周和1年时, 填写OM-6问卷。

结果：两组术前平均分值均高于术后平均分值, 术后6周平均分值均高于术后1年平均分值。此外, 第2组患者术后6周的平均分值明显高于第1组。

结论与意义：我们的研究结果表明, BET可能是一种安全的一线干预措施, 对慢性ETD儿童的生活质量有正面作用。

Keywords:

• Otitis media with effusion
• Eustachian tube
• balloon dilatation
• Eustachian tube dysfunction

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.