OBJECTIVES: To present and assess a surgical technique designed to minimize the known causes of a discharging @entity2267 . STUDY DESIGN: A temporal bone dissection to establish the anatomical relationships on which the surgical technique is based. A presentation of the proposed surgical technique and a prospective assessment of the technique in twenty consecutive mastoidectomies. METHODS: Five temporal bone dissections were performed to establish the relationship between the @entity2103 when these structures are approached from above. The surgical technique is presented and the mastoid cavities of twenty consecutive @entity1 assessed. The assessment included measurement of the facial ridge height, "kidney-shape" of the cavity, size of the cavity, size of the meatus, and state of the tympanic membrane. RESULTS: In the temporal bone dissections the vertical height between the @entity2103 at 3/9 o'clock was a mean of 2.01 mm. Nineteen of the 20 consecutive mastoid cavities (95%) performed with the presented technique remained well healed and dry. The mean facial ridge height was 2.7 mm at 3/9 o'clock and 4.8 mm at 6 o'clock. The kidney-shaped measurement was 1.45 mm. The mean size of the cavities was 2.6 mm and 18 of the 20 @entity1 (90%) had an intact tympanic membrane. The mean largest diameter of the meatus was 10.1 mm. CONCLUSIONS: The surgical technique presented produces a @entity2267 with a low facial ridge and oval shape. These two factors have been previously identified as important in the outcome of mastoid surgery.

A technique of mastoidectomy and meatoplasty that minimizes factors associated with a discharging XXXX .

@entity2103 :: ('MESH:D005155', 'Disease') :: ['chorda tympani and the facial nerve'] @entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['patients'] @entity2267 :: ('MESH:D008417', 'Disease') :: ['mastoid cavity']
@entity2267 :: (MESH:D008417,Disease) :: ['mastoid cavity']
