Long-Term Results Of Tragal Cartilage Type 1 Tympanoplasty

Abstract

Aim:Tympanoplasty is one of the most frequently performed operations by ear, nose, and throat specialists. The aim of tympanoplasty operation is to obtain a healthy ear membrane and minimise hearing loss. The aim of this study was to evaluate the graft success and functional hearing outcomes of patients applied with tragal cartilage type 1 tympanoplasty operation in our clinic. Patients and Method: The study included 43 patients who underwent tragal cartilage type 1 tympanoplasty operation in our clinic between January 2016 and November 2020. A retrospective evaluation was made of the preoperative pure tone audiometry (PTA) values and the operative findings. In the follow-up examination, the graft status and PTA results were recorded. The graft success and hearing gains of the patients were evaluated. Results: Evaluation was made of 43 patients, comprising 24 males and 19 females with a mean age of 31.2 years (range, 13-58 years). The operation was performed on the right ear of 22 patients and the left ear of 21. The tympanoplasty operation was performed with an endaural approach in 6 cases and a postauricular approach in 37. The mean follow-up time was 20.8 months (range, 12-39 months). The graft success rate of all the patients was 88.4%. The mean air conduction threshold, air-bone gap, and bone conduction threshold values at 500, 1000, 2000, and 4000 Hz were determined to have statistically significantly decreased postoperatively compared to the preoperative values (p