Long-term outcomes following pediatric endoscopic titanium ossiculoplasty: A single-institution experience.

INTRODUCTION: Endoscopic ossicular chain reconstruction (OCR) in adults has demonstrated equivalent outcomes to the traditional microscopic approach. Less data exist on endoscopic OCR outcomes in children, who have unique considerations including a smaller transcanal corridor and variable pathology. The purpose of this study was to investigate surgical and audiometric outcomes in children undergoing fully endoscopic and endoscopic-assisted OCR in both the short and long-term. METHODS: Retrospective review of all children (<17 years) who underwent endoscopic OCR at one tertiary care center between 2017 and 2021. Children undergoing primary and revision endoscopic OCR with either partial (PORP) and total ossicular reconstruction prostheses (TORP) were included. Children undergoing surgery for juvenile otosclerosis or congenital stapes fixation, or any child receiving a stapes prosthesis were excluded. Primary outcome measures were post-operative change in 4 frequency (500 Hz, 1, 2, 4 KHz) air conduction pure tone average (AC PTA) and change in air-bone gap (ABG). Secondary measures included need for readmission and/or revision surgery, complication rate, and surgery duration. RESULTS: Seventeen patients met inclusion criteria. Average age was 11.3 years (range, 5-17 years); 14 were male. A variety of fixed length, titanium total and partial prostheses were used. The most common prosthesis length was 2 mm (range 2-5 mm), and there were no intra- or perioperative complications. Mean long-term follow-up was 2.6 years. Most common pathology was congenital cholesteatoma (11/17, 64%), followed by chronic otitis media with tympanic membrane perforation (5/17, 29.4%), and extruded prosthesis (1/17, 5.9%). Intraoperatively, the most common finding was incus erosion (10/17, 58.8%), followed by malleus erosion (6/17, 35.3%), stapes erosion (4/17, 23.5%), and stapes absence (4/17, 23.5%). Eight children (47%) were reconstructed with PORPs, and 9 children (52.9%) were reconstructed with TORPs. Average ABG improved from 36.8 dB preoperatively to 19.9 dB postoperatively in the short-term and remained stable at 19.5 dB in the long-term. Average short-term ABG improvement was 4.2 dB for PORPs and 18 dB for TORPs. In the long-term, average ABG improved by 2.3 dB in PORPs and 13.4 dB in TORPs. PORPs had higher rates of ABG closure and lower AC PTAs than TORPs in the long-term. DISCUSSION: Endoscopic ossiculoplasty is a viable option in children presenting with ossicular erosion from various causes. Audiometric improvement following endoscopic partial and total ossicular reconstruction remains stable over time, with a preference towards partial in the long-term, and mirrors published outcomes for microscopic surgery.

Assessing the competitiveness of medical humanities research on psychiatry, otolaryngology, and ophthalmology residency program applications.

Medical humanities research is an increasing area of interest for students as medical schools become more aware of the benefits of humanities and the arts on patient care. However, medical students may feel dissuaded from pursuing medical humanities work for fear of how it will be perceived on their residency applications. In this study, residency program directors (PDs) in New York state in psychiatry, ophthalmology, and otolaryngology were surveyed about their opinions on the competitiveness of students doing medical humanities research applying to their programs. Of the 64 PDs contacted, twenty submitted responses (31.3%). When asked if a residency applicant who only had medical humanities research experience would be seriously considered for their program, 95% of PDs said yes. Furthermore, 65% of PDs said that having medical humanities research experience in addition to clinical research increased a student's chance of being accepted to their program. Thirty percent of PDs indicated that the medical humanities were an important selection criteria for their program. Qualitative responses emphasized that non-traditional projects, such as personal essays, were as valid as published journal articles when conducted with academic rigor. Many PDs also believed that the medical humanities increased compassion, empathy, and communication skills in their residents. Considering these results, medical students should feel empowered to pursue medical humanities research, even if they are applying into a competitive surgical specialty. It should not diminish their chances of being seriously considered for a program, and may even confer an advantage over their clinical research peers.