FACTORS AFFECTING THE SUCCESS OF TEMPORAL MUSCLE FASCIA GRAFT IN TYMPANOPLASTY

Material and Methods: Eighyt-seven patients with chronic otitis media who underwent tympanoplasty between 2008 April and 2010 January were included in this study. The effect of age at operation time, type of tympanic membrane perforation (total, subtotal, anterior, posterior, central), disease duration, laterality of disease on greft success at first, third and sixth months is investigated. Hearing gain was determined using the audiological results in the preoperative period and postoperative six months.

Results: Age at the time of operation and laterality of the disease had no statistically significant effect on graft success in our study. Graft success was found to be lower in cases with total perforation compared to other types, and graft success was higher in patients with disease duration of 3-5 years (p<0,05 ). Graft success was decreasing as the postoperative follow up period was incresing. Postoperative pure-tone audiometry revealed that mean air bone gap (ABG) gain between 500-4000 Hz was 7,95±10,08 dB, and mean airway threshold gain was 9,86± 10,87dB.

Conclusion: Perforation type and disease duration affect the graft success in tympanoplasty. Graft success was higher in the early postoperative period, and graft success decreases as the follow up period gets longer. Keywords : Chronic otitis media, tympanoplasty, tympan membran perforation