Pediatric Type 1 Cartilage Tympanoplasty: Comparison between Graft Success Rates and Hearing Results in Adults

OBJECTIVE: It is an ongoing debate whether tympanoplasty should be performed in the pediatric age group. The purpose of this study was to analyze and compare the anatomical and functional outcomes of type I cartilage tympanoplasty in children and adults. MATERIALS and METHODS: The file records of patients who underwent type 1 cartilage tympanoplasty were retrospectively reviewed. In total, 133 patients who underwent type 1 tympanoplasty for chronic otitis media were included. Tragal cartilage grafts were used in all patients. The patients were divided into two groups: pediatric (age <= 16 years, n=54) and adult (age>18 years, n=79) groups. The graft success rates and hearing results between the two groups were compared. RESULTS: The graft success rate was 90.2% (120/133) in the study group. At the end of the 24-month follow-up, the graft was intact in 48 of the 54 (88.9%) patients in the pediatric group and 72 of the 79 patients in the adult group (91.1%) (p=0.769). The functional success rate (postoperative air-bone gap< 20 dB) obtained in the study group was 90.2% (120/133). The functional success rate was 88.9% (48/54) in the pediatric group and 91.1% (72/79) in the adult group (p=0.255). CONCLUSION: The graft success rates and hearing results obtained with cartilage grafts are similar in children and adults. Therefore, cartilage grafts may be safely used in pediatric patients, similar to their use in adults.