Evaluation of Type III Tympanoplasty Using Cartilage Ossiculoplasty in Cholesteatoma Ear Surgery

This prospective observational study evaluates the role of tympanoplasty type III in cholesteatoma ear disease during same sitting with mastoid surgery using cartilage ossiculoplasty. Forty patients of chronic suppurative otitis media-cholesteatoma disease were recruited in the study. All the patients had extensive cholesteatoma and underwent canal wall down mastoid surgery. Tympanoplasty type III, that is, stapes columella, minor columella, or major columella, was done in each case along with mastoid surgery depending upon the remnant ossicular status. Conchal cartilage graft was used for ossiculoplasty along with temporalis fascia graft. Hearing and graft uptake results were evaluated at the end of 6 months postoperatively. Of the 40 cases, 3 cases failed tympanoplasty. In the remaining 37 cases, a statistically significant hearing improvement (air-bone gap of 33 dB) was observed postoperatively. Seven cases underwent stapes columella, 13 cases underwent minor columella, and 17 cases underwent major columella tympanoplasty type III. Although a hearing improvement was recorded in all these subgroups, a statistically significant hearing gain was present only in tympanoplasty type III minor columella cases thereby underlying the importance of intact stapes. However, it is difficult to discern the type of tympanoplasty type III that the patient would undergo prior to the ear surgery