Health Related Quality of Life after the Bony Obliteration Tympanoplasty for COM with Cholesteatoma using the COMQ12 - A Disease Specific PROM.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate the effect of canal wall up with bony obliteration tympanoplasty (CWU-BOT) on the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in patients with chronic otitis media with cholesteatoma by using the chronic otitis media questionnaire 12 (COMQ-12). MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study is a retrospective analysis of the COMQ-12 of 26 patients who completed the COMQ-12 before and after a CWU-BOT with eradication of cholesteatoma followed by obliteration of the mastoid and paratympanic space with bone chips and bone pâté and reconstruction of the tympanic membrane and ossicular chain. RESULTS: All patients were operated upon in our institute between 2014 and 2017. The median score of the 12 questions was preoperatively and postoperatively calculated, and then compared. A large effect was observed in the total score and the questions about running ear, discharge, and visits to the general practitioner. A medium positive size effect was observed in the questions about hearing in noisy surroundings, discomfort, dizziness, tinnitus, medication use, and the mental aspect of the patient. In the questions about the hearing at home and quality of life and impact on work, we noted a small positive size effect. In 50% of patients, the HRQOL became normal; the remaining 50% improved to a level very close to normal. CONCLUSION: Canal wall up with bony obliteration tympanoplasty (CWU-BOT) showed a clear decrease in the severity of the symptoms, life and work impact, and health care after surgery.

Effect of type I tympanoplasty on the quality of life of children.

OBJECTIVES: Quality-of-life issues related to chronic otitis media (COM) include physical symptoms, emotional symptoms, hearing loss, speech symptoms, social symptoms, and parents' emotional symptoms. In this study we evaluated the effects of tympanoplasty on the quality of life of pediatric patients. METHODS: In a questionnaire-based outcome study, we reviewed 56 of 78 pediatric patients with COM who were treated with type I tympanoplasty at our institution between December 2008 and February 2010. All patients were asked to fill out the COM-5 questionnaire with their parents, before operation and 6 months after operation. Preoperative and postoperative total ear scores, preoperative and postoperative ear scores with an intact tympanic membrane, preoperative and postoperative ear scores with a perforated tympanic membrane, and preoperative and postoperative audiological results were assessed. RESULTS: After type I tympanoplasty, 45 patients (80.3%) had successful closure of the tympanic membrane, but 11 patients (19.7%) had unsuccessful closure of the tympanic membrane. There was a significant decrease in physical suffering, hearing loss, emotional distress, activity limitations, and caregiver's concerns scores in patients with intact tympanic membranes after operation (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Children with COM had a significant increase in their quality of life after successful tympanoplasty. Our results also suggested that tympanoplasty was successful in pediatric patients with COM.

Timpanoplastia secundaria contejido aerolar laxo y nutriciónsubdérmica / Secondary tympanoplasty with areolar tissue and subdermal nutrition

La timpanoplastia secundaria es un reto quirúrgico debido a que varios factores intervienen para obtener un resultado satisfactorio. Múltiples materiales han sido descritos para el cierre de las perforaciones timpánicas secundarias con tasas de éxito que oscilan en promedio del 93 por ciento. Los autores de este estudio describen una técnica quirúrgica que ha sido de gran utilidad en el Hospital Universitario del Valle, Cali, Colombia, para el cierre de perforaciones timpánicas secundarias con tejido areolar laxo. Este injerto posee una citoarquitectura ideal para integrarse al oído. Se reporta en esta serie una tasa de cierre de la perforación del 97 por ciento y una mejoría audiológica promedio de 21dB. Se considera que el mayor aporte vascular que se logra a través de la disección del ánulus posterior, colgajos meatales y timpánicos contribuyen de manera significativa a la viabilidad del injerto.

Secondary timpanoplasty is a surgical challenge since various factors contribute to obtain a satisfactory result. Multiples materials have been described for perforation closure in secondary timpanoplasty with a mean success rate around 93 percent. The authors describe a surgical technique that has proved to be of great help at the Hospital Universitario del Valle in Cali, Colombia with areolar tissue. The histological properties of areolar tissue makes it ideal for tympanic membrane repair. We report a closure rate of the 97 percent and a fair audiological results with a PTA less than 21 dB for the described series. The authors believe that a bigger blood supply that is achieved by posterior annulus dissection, meatal and timpanal flaps contribute significantly to the survival of the graft.

[Value of informed consent in tympanoplasty and FESS procedures]. / Zum Erinnerungsvermögen an das präoperative Aufklärungsgespräch bei HNO-Patienten.

BACKGROUND: More than one third of all lawsuits against surgeons include statements of insufficient or lacking preoperative informed consent which is mandatory in the german jurisprudence. Almost nothing is known about the postoperative patient's memory of risk factors which were explained prior to typical surgical procedures in ENT. METHODS: The objectives of this prospective study in 201 patients were to elucidate the actual clinical routine of obtaining informed consent for tympanoplasty (n=105) and FESS procedures (n=89), collect information on active and passive recall 6 weeks, 6 months and 1 year post-operatively, and to investigate whether patient age, sex, education, the time from obtaining consent to interview, recurrent vs. non-recurrent procedures, would influence the patient's recall capabilities. RESULTS: In clinical routine, obtaining informed consent included 5 main items for tympanoplasty and 5 for FESS procedures made by the physician. Of the patients, 18.9% recalled actively and 65.3% passively. They named 1.5 items on average, with "deafness" as the leading complication in tympanoplasty and "amaurosis" in FESS procedures. Patient's memory was depending on the time from obtaining consent to interview and education exclusively. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, the quantity of patient/physician interaction does not guarantee an increased effect on patient's recall. Improving patient interaction may reduce the probability of imminent accusations.

Preoperative Takotsubo cardiomyopathy identified in the operating room before induction of anesthesia.

We present a case of Takotsubo cardiomyopathy recognized in a patient just before induction of anesthesia. The patient's anxiety about surgery could have been an inciting factor. As the patient's surgery was cancelled and rescheduled for a later date, treatment and strategies to prevent recurrence of the syndrome are discussed.

Retroauricular tympanoplasty and tympanomastoidectomy under local anesthesia and sedation.

CONCLUSION: Retroauricular tympanoplasty and tympanomastoidectomy under local anesthesia with sedation can be well tolerated by the patient, with minimum discomfort. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate patient discomfort from pain, body/neck position, noise, and anxiety during tympanoplasties and mastoidectomies performed under local anesthesia with sedation. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This was a prospective study of 83 surgeries in 62 patients (28 type I tympanoplasties, 12 tympanoplasties with ossicular reconstruction, 40 canal wall up mastoidectomies, and 3 revision tympanoplasties). Local infiltration used lidocaine 2% with 1:100 000 epinephrine infiltrated in the retroauricular area and from below the pinna in a 'V' pattern. Sedation was achieved with 50 mg of intramuscular promethazine 1 h before surgery and intravenous midazolam (0.03 mg/kg) at the beginning of surgery. Subsequent doses of midazolam were given to maintain adequate sedation, up to 10 mg. The discomfort during surgery was assessed by the patient with a score from 0 to 4 (0 = no discomfort and 4 = extreme discomfort). RESULTS: Discomfort due to pain had a mean score of 0.83. Noise discomfort (from drilling and manipulation of instruments) had the lowest mean score (0.70), and discomfort from body and neck position had the highest mean score (1.51).

Evaluation of the relation between audiometric and psychometric measures of hearing after tympanoplasty.

The objective of this prospective study was to evaluate the relation between audiometric and psychometric measures after tympanoplasty from the perspective of preoperative selection of patients and postoperative assessment of the results of reconstructive middle ear surgery. Hearing (dis)ability was measured by means of pure-tone audiometry and a validated self-assessment questionnaire: the (modified) Amsterdam Inventory of Auditory Disability and Handicap (m)AIAD. Average hearing thresholds and (m)AIAD scores were evaluated for 80 patients, pre- and 12 months postoperatively. The average improvement of the air conduction threshold in the operated ear was 5.4 (+/-14.3) dB; the average improvement in the (m)AIAD score was 2.9 points (+/-12.1). Although not very strong, the audiometric improvement and increase in (m)AIAD score are significantly related. After the calculation of postoperatively measured mean scores on the (m)AIAD for different 10-dB intervals of postoperative hearing loss averaged over both ears, an interesting relation between the (m)AIAD score and hearing losses emerges. The (m)AIAD score is almost independent of hearing loss for postoperative hearing levels between 25 and 40 dB. Residual hearing loss has to become less than 25 dB before a smaller hearing loss corresponds with a higher (better) (m)AIAD score. For losses larger than 40 dB the (m)AIAD score clearly decreases with increasing hearing loss. Finally, even small residual hearing losses lead, on average, to (m)AIAD scores that are substantially lower than the score for normally hearing subjects. In general, the patient benefit seems related to the magnitude of improvement in the air-conduction thresholds, rather than to the achievement of a certain threshold level. In addition, even small residual hearing losses (less than 25 dB HL) still lead, on average, to (m)AIAD scores that are substantially lower than the scores for normally hearing subjects.

Results of type 1 tympanoplasty in children and parental perceptions of outcome of surgery.

The goals of tympanoplasty in children include improvement in hearing, prevention of ear infections, and elimination of the need for water precautions. However, tympanoplasty in children is a controversial subject. In the present study the outcome of tympanoplasty in children is examined with regard to its success in achieving these goals and to the level of parental satisfaction with its outcome. Fifty-four children undergoing 62 tympanoplasties at our institution were included in the study. The surgical success rate was 72.5 per cent. Fifty per cent of parents reported that their child's hearing had improved (p = 0.181 for association with surgical success), 78 per cent reported a decrease in ear infections (p = 0.023), 45 per cent reported their child to be participating in activities previously refrained from (p = 0.003), and 79 per cent of parents were satisfied with the overall surgical outcome (p<0.001). Our findings show that successful tympanoplasty my confer benefits on children and may help guide parents' expectations of the surgery.