COMPARATIVE STUDY OF ENDOSCOPIC AND MICROSCOPIC ASSISTED MYRINGOPLASTY IN TIRUMALA HOSPITALS, KADAPA
Authors: Babu Dr. P. Surendra 
Published: March 2020

Objective: The main aim of the study is to assess the operative time, graft uptake and audiological gain and post-operative scar in the group of the patients undergoing the endoscope assisted and the microscope assisted myringoplasty in Tirumala Hospital, Kadapa.

Material and Methods: Myringoplasty or type-1 tympanoplasty was performed by either the endoscope or the microscope assistance. Postaural approach was undertaken for microscope assisted myringoplasty. Underlay technique of myringoplasty was performed using temporalis fascia graft in all the patients suffering from the inactive mucosal chronic otitis media. Post operative evaluation was done in terms of operative time, graft uptake and audiological gain. The patients were followed up for a period of 6 months. The study was longitudinal in nature and comprised of 100 patients suffering from the chronic otitis media inactive mucosal disease. The patients are divided into two groups consisting of 50 in each group. One group of patients have undergone microscopic assisted myringoplasty one group undergone endoscopic assisted myringoplasty and were followed up regularly.  Study period is one year from January 2016 to December 2016 attending outpatient otolaryngology department were included in the study.

Results: The operative time in the patients undergoing the endoscope assisted myringoplasty(EAM) was 45minutes whereas it was 60 minutes in the patients undergoing the microscope assisted myringoplasty(MAM). The tympanic membrane graft uptake and audiological gain was assessed at 1 month, 3months and 6 months post operatively. The successful closure of the tympanic membrane perforation was higher with the endoscope assisted myringoplasty as compared to the microscope assisted myringoplasty at 1 month, 3 months and 6 months of follow up. The mean audiological gain following myringoplasty with both the techniques used was noted. The mean audiological gain was found to be marginally better with the endoscope assisted myringoplasty at follow up of 1, 3 and 6 months as compared to the microscope assisted myringoplasty.

Conclusion: The operative time was less in the endoscope assisted technique as compared to the microscope assisted technique. The post operative morbidity (evaluated in terms of post operative scar) was less in the group of patients undergoing the Transcanal endoscope assisted as compared to microscope assisted myringoplasty. There was no significant difference in either graft uptake or post-operative audiological gain in the patients undergoing myringoplasty by endoscope assisted and microscope assisted technique. The endoscope assisted myringoplasty has advantages of better assessment of ossicular chain and in the patients with canal overhang it improves the visualisation of the margins of the perforation thus obviating the need for canalplasty. Thus the endoscope assisted myringoplasty can be used as a preferred alternative to the conventional microscope assisted myringoplasty, with better post operative results and reduced operating time and morbidity of the surgical procedure.

Keywords: Chronic otitis media (COM); Myringoplasty; Endoscope assisted myringoplasty; Microscope assisted myringoplasty.