Kaya I, et al. - The intent of the authors was to gauge and report the long-term results of type 1 cartilage tympanoplasty in a pediatric cohort. A statistically prominent success was gained in the long-term follow up through the type 1 tympanoplasty with cartilage graft in pediatric patients. Long-term hearing results of primary type 1 cartilage tympanoplasty were discovered to be better than short-term hearing results. It was regarded that the cartilage graft could be the best graft material for pediatric tympanoplasty for long-term success.

Methods

• Herein, 76 of 93 patients who had regularly come to visits (38 male and 38 female) with chronic otitis media (COM) and who were younger than 16 years (range, 9-16 years) and underwent a primary type 1 tympanoplasty, were examined in a tertiary medical center.
• They were allocated into 2 groups; a younger group (age <12 years) and an older group (age ≥12 years).
• Researchers recorded the age, gender, follow-up time, prior to surgery and at postoperative 6th and minimum 48th month follow-up pure tone audiometry (PTA) thresholds and the presence of any residual perforation.

Results

• The occurrence of successful closure was noted among 74 in 76 patients and the success rate was 97,03%.
• The mean 6th month follow-up bone conduction threshold values were disclosed to be 7,61 ± 3,89 and 6,89 ± 6,28 <12 years old and ≥12 years old children, respectively.
• It was noted that the mean 48th month follow-up bone conduction threshold values were 6,93 ± 4,00 and 7,12 ± 6,40, <12 years old and ≥12 years old children, respectively.
• The mean 6th month follow-up air conduction threshold values were revealed to be 23,75 ± 8,38 and 24,73 ± 10,41 <12 years old and ≥12 years old children, respectively.
• Researchers determined that the mean 48th month follow-up air conduction threshold values were 17,15 ± 6,04 and 20,30 ± 10,30, <12 years old and ≥12 years old children, respectively.
• Among all children; substantial variation was found in the preoperative mean air conduction from postoperative 6th and 48th month follow-up mean air conduction thresholds (p < 0.001).
• Marked improvement was yielded in their ABG compared with their preoperative ABG scores.
• According to groups, no prominent change was reported between pre and postoperative ABG improvement in both 6th and 48th month follow-up between <12 years old and ≥12 years old patient group.