Functional outcomes of tympanoplasty surgery

Objective: We reviewed functional outcomes of tympanoplasty. Study design: The results of tympanoplastic surgery are changing in time. We present late treatment outcomes among different types of tympanoplasty. Methods: Eighty-six patients who underwent tympanoplasty were enrolled in the study. The results of pure tone audiometry performed 7 days before, then at 3 months, 1 year, and 3 years after the surgery were assessed. Type II tympanoplasty involved implantation of a partial ossicular replacement prosthesis and type III tympanoplasty involved reconstruction with a total ossicular replacement prosthesis and the use of autogenous homogenous material. Statistical analysis was performed. Results: With all four types of tympanoplasty, hearing improvement was achieved at 3 months and 1 year after surgery based on the magnitude of the mean ABG reduction (p<0.001). In patients who underwent type I, type III, and type IV tympanoplasty, the ABG reduction at 3 years after surgery was maintained at the level reported at 3 months and 1 year after surgery (p<0.001). In patients who underwent type II tympanoplasty, however, the mean ABG value was increased at all tested frequencies (p<0.05). The mean ABG values reported 3 years after type II and type III tympanoplasty were similar. Conclusions: Based on the results over time, hearing improvement seems to be less durable after reconstruction with the partial ossicular replacement prosthesis procedure compared to the total ossicular replacement prosthesis procedure.