Comparative Analysis of the Success Rate with the use of Fibrin Sealant in Tympanoplasty

Objective: To test the hypothesis that a Fibrin sealant (FS) can improve the success rate of Tympanoplasty surgery, a prospective trial was undertaken. The aim was to compare the graft uptake and hearing outcomes in type 1- Tympanoplasty with the use of a Fibrin sealant to secure the graft. Methods: A prospective study was performed on 80 patients within the age group of 18 to 64 years, from April 2014 to March 2016, at our institute. Otological examination and Audiometry findings were recorded with emphasis on the duration of symptoms, size of the perforation and the degree of hearing loss. Of the 80 patients undergoing type 1 Tympanoplasty with temporalis fascia graft, 40 patients (cases) underwent the surgery with the use of FS to secure the graft in place. The rest of the 40 patients (controls) served as a control group for this study. Statistical analysis was done using the Chi-square test. Results : In the post-operative results, the graft uptake success rate in cases was 95.00%, whereas the success rate in control group was 80.0%. This difference was statistically significant (Chi. Square=4.114, DF=1,p=0.043). Hearing outcome showed a statistically significant difference with predominance of normal hearing in cases (95.00%), whereas in the control group it was 77.50% (Chi. Square=6.155, DF=2,p=0.046). Conclusion: The FS improves the success rate in terms of graft uptake and hearing outcome in type 1 tympanoplasty.