Outcomes of tympanostomy tube placement in children

Introduction In children, one of the frequently occurring ENT problems is otitis media with effusion. Tympanostomy tube placement is the standard treatment for persistent otitis media with effusion. However, some consequences may occur after this treatment.

Methods Goal To study the prevalence of the sequels of post-tympanostomy in children with otitis media with effusion, who underwent myringotomy with inserted ventilation tubes. Children admitted to our ENT department aged 3 to 8 years, a total of 87 patients with otitis media with effusion underwent bilateral tympanostomy tube placement. After tympanostomy, we routinely provided otomicroscopy, audiometry and tympanometry examinations of 174 ears for 3 years.

Results Otomicroscopy revealed the following dates: normal eardrum in 84 ears (48.28 %), tympanosclerosis in 47 ears (27 %), eustachian tube dysfunction in 17 ears (9.77 %), recurrence of otitis media with effusion in 15 ears (8.62)%), perforation of the tympanic membrane in 11 ears (6.32 %).

Audiological findings normal hearing in 107 ears (61.49 %), conductive hearing loss of less than 15 dB in 35 ears (20.11 % ), conductive hearing loss of more than 15 dB in 22 ears (12.64 %), mixed-type hearing loss was detected in 10 ears (5.75 %).

Tympanometry tympanogram type A in 131 ears (75.28 %), tympanogram type B in 26 ears (14.94 %) and tympanogram type C in 17 ears (9.77 %).

Conclusion In spite of the incidence of various sequels after the tympanostomy procedure, the percentage of improvement hearing level and normalization of tympanogram is high and it proves the effectiveness of tympanostomy in children with otitis media with effusion. But after tympanostomy, the long-term follow-up is strongly recommended in order to avoid further postoperative sequels.

INVIVO Clinic

Publication History

Article published online:
10 June 2020