Hearing results after tympanoplasty with ossiculoplasty type IV

Abstract

We evaluated the postoperative hearing results of 209 cases who underwent tympanoplasty type IV between January 1990 and June 2006 in our department. Using the postoperative hearing result assessment criteria according to the Japan Society of Otology in 2000, hearing was evaluated in at least 6 months after surgery. In the case of non-inflammatory disease such as ossicular chain dislocation or middle ear abnormality, successful hearing results were obtained in 90% of the patients who underwent tympanoplasty type IV-i, while the same successful results were obtained in 89.7% in type IV-c. In the case of congenital cholesteatoma, successful hearing results were obtained in 75% in type IV-i and 72.4% in type IV-c. In the case of acquired cholesteatoma, successful hearing results were obtained in 44.4% in type IV-i and 34.4% in type IV-c. The successful hearing results of tympanoplasty type IV-i was superior to that of type N-c in each group. When the postoperative hearing results were analyzed according to the type of materials for ossiculoplasty, there was no significant difference between homograft cartilage, homograft bone, and artificial allograft prostheses. These findings indicated that tympanoplasty type IV-i was considered to be selected in the case of inflammatory disease, if they were available due to the condition of diseases.