Hearing outcome after tympanoplasty type III

Purpose We assessed overall hearing outcome after tympanoplasty type III in chronically infected ears with cholesteatoma (CH) and without cholesteatoma: otitis media chronica mesotympanalis, tympanosclerosis, and adhesive process (COM_T_AP). Methods 303 surgeries were evaluated: 229 CH-group and 74 COM_T_AP-group. Air-bone gaps (PTA-ABG) with pure-tone averages (PTA-4) at four frequencies (0.5, 1, 2 and 4 kHz) were compared preoperatively, early postoperatively (< 40 days) and late postoperatively (40–400 days). Hearing outcome was compared in various types of middle-ear reconstruction and in smokers and non-smokers. Correlations between hearing outcome and predictive staging indices were evaluated: Middle Ear Risk-Index (MER-I) and Ossiculoplasty Outcome Parameter Staging-Index (OOPS-I). Results Mean PTA-ABG in the CH-group increased from 20.9 ± 11.3 dB to 22.3 ± 10.4 dB early postoperatively and decreased significantly to 19.2 ± 10.1 dB late postoperatively. Mean PTA-ABG in the COM_T_AP-group decreased significantly from 27.3 ± 10.9 dB to 20.6 ± 10.9 dB early postoperatively and decreased to 20.0 ± 12.2 dB late postoperatively. No significant difference was seen between PTA-ABG-closures of partial or total ossicular replacement prosthesis (PORP/TORP) and cartilage ossiculoplasty in the CH-group. Patients receiving TORP showed a significantly higher preoperative PTA-ABG. All reconstruction types exhibited postoperative PTA-ABG around 20 dB. In the COM_T_AP-group, smokers had a significantly higher mean PTA-ABG early postoperatively; this equalized with that of non-smokers late postoperatively. PTA-ABG-closures and MER-I or OOPS-I were not significantly correlated. Conclusion Tympanoplasty type III maintains hearing in patients with cholesteatoma and significantly improves hearing in chronically inflamed ears without cholesteatoma. All investigated ossicular replacement prostheses are equally beneficial. Healing postoperatively takes longer in smokers, but they eventually catch up with non-smokers.