Comparison of the Impacts of Different Middle Ear Mucosal Conditions on Type I Tympanoplasty Outcomes.

Background: This study aimed to explore the impacts of different middle-ear mucosal conditions on the outcomes of type I tympanoplasty.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of 164 patients with chronic otitis media was carried out. The patients were divided into 4 groups according to their mucosal condition. Preoperative hearing levels and air-bone gap (ABG) before and after surgery were compared via the Kruskal‒Wallis H test. The chi-squared test and Fisher's exact test were used to assess the postoperative complications and impact factors of functional success.

Results: Preoperatively, neither the air conduction nor bone conduction values differed significantly among groups with different mucosal conditions. All of the ABG closed dramatically after type I tympanoplasty (P < .05) regardless of the mucosal conditions. The functional success rates were lower when the intratympanic mucosa was moderately or severely edematous compared with mildly edematous or normal (P < .05). The disease course, perforation site, and perforation size, as well as the status of the opposite ear, were not related to the auditory functional outcome. The differences in postoperative reotorrhea and reperforation among the 4 groups were not statistically significant.

Conclusion: Preoperative hearing levels were not affected by middle-ear mucosal conditions. The functional success rate was influenced by mucosal conditions, but hearing levels were significantly enhanced after surgical intervention regardless of the mucosal status. Postoperative complications were not related to the mucosal conditions. Thus, type I tympanoplasty is adoptable for mucosal abnormalities when pharmacotherapy cannot result in a healthy tympanum.