HEARING OUTCOME IN CANAL WALL DOWN MASTOIDECTOMY WITH TYMPANOPLASTY

CONTEXT: Tympanomastoid cholesteatoma destroys the tympanic membrane and ossicles resulting in a conductive hearing loss. A canal wall down mastoidectomy with tympanoplasty is performed for disease removal and correction of deafness. This surgery is technically challenging and results depend upon a number of factors like eustachian tube function, severity of middle ear pathology, status of remnant ossicular chain, reconstruction technique employed and post-operative healing. AIM: To compare the pre-operative versus post-operative hearing in patients undergoing canal wall down mastoidectomy with tympanoplasty. SETTING AND DESIGN: Prospective study conducted at a tertiary referral institution. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty six patients with chronic suppurative otitis media with cholesteatoma underwent a canal wall down mastoidectomy with tympanoplasty. Preoperative and postoperative airborne gaps were compared. RESULTS: The preoperative mean air bone gap was 38.10 dB and the post-operative mean air bone gap was 29.30 dB with a gain of 8.8 dB. CONCLUSION: Canal wall down mastoidectomy with tympanoplasty is a good surgical procedure to augment the patients hearing to acceptable social levels.