Comparison of frequency-specific hearing outcomes after endoscopic and microscopic tympanoplasty

Abstract

Background

Hearing results of endoscopic and microscopic tympanoplasty have been compared using the average pure tone threshold which could conceal subtle differences at a specific frequency.

Objectives

To compare frequency-specific hearing outcomes of endoscopic and microscopic tympanoplasty.

Material and methods

The study included 42 patients who underwent endoscopic or microscopic type I tympanoplasty. The medical charts of these patients were reviewed retrospectively. We evaluated the pure tone audiometry at 250, 500, 1000, 2000 and 4000 Hz, including bone conduction (BC), air conduction (AC) and air-bone gap (ABG) before and after the surgery. The main outcome measures were frequency-specific pre- and post-operative hearing thresholds and the corresponding changes. We also assessed the graft success rate and surgical complications.

Results

BC revealed a significant aggravation at 4000 Hz in microscopic tympanoplasty group, but no significant differences between the two groups at any frequencies. Both groups showed improvements in AC and ABG at all frequencies, without significant differences between the two groups at any single frequency. The maximum improvement of AC and ABG was found at 250 Hz. The graft success rate and operative complications were also similar.

Conclusions and significance

The frequency-specific hearing outcomes of endoscopic and microscopic tympanoplasty are similar.

Chinese abstract

背景：比较了内窥镜和显微镜鼓室成形术的听力结果使用平均纯音阈值来比较, 该阈值可能会掩盖特定频率下的细微差异。

目的：比较内窥镜和显微镜下鼓室成形术的特定频率的听力结果。

材料和方法：该研究包括42例接受内窥镜或显微镜I型鼓室成形术患者。回顾性分析这些患者的病历。我们评估了250、500、1000、2000和4000 Hz的纯音测听法, 包括骨传导（BC）, 手术前后的空气传导（AC）和气骨间隙（ABG）。主要结果指标分别为手术前后特定频率的听力阈值和相应的变化。我们还评估了移植物的成功率和手术并发症。

结果：镜下鼓室成形术组的BC在4000 Hz处明显加重, 但两组在任何频率下并无显著差异。两组均表现出在所有频率下AC和ABG的改善, 在任何单个频率下两组之间都没有显著差异。AC和ABG的最大改善在250 Hz。移植成功率及手术并发症也相似。

结论和意义：内窥镜和显微镜鼓室成形术的频率特异性听力结果相似。

Keywords:

• Tympanoplasty
• endoscope
• hearing
• frequency
• otitis media

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).