Evaluation of Requirements for Staging the Procedure of Reconstruction of Middle Ear After Canal Wall Down Mastoidectomy

Cholesteatoma is a progressive destructive ear disease which can affect any age group. It has been found to be more severe in children and young adults. It erodes the surrounding bone of middle ear, mastoid and ossicles. It causes partial to total deafness, unpleasant smelling discharge, pain, tinnitus, vertigo and facial paralysis. It can even cause meningitis, brain abscess and death. The post-operative outcome of hearing, and the state of the reconstructed middle-ear cavity after concurrent and staged reconstruction of middle ear after canal wall down mastoidectomy was studied in 30 ears with middle-ear cholesteatoma. The reconstructed middle ear was re-aerated in 60.5 % of the cases, which was significantly higher than for the epitympanum (39.5 %). Tympanoplasty was successful in terms of hearing results in 68.9 % of all subjects and in 75.4 % of the ears having a re-aerated tympanic cavity, which was significantly better than the 38.5 % for ears in which the tympanic cavity was not re-aerated. The findings of recurrent cholesteatoma, tympanic atelectasis, and tympanic effusion were observed with significantly (p < 0.03) high incidence in ears with no re-aerated space in their reconstructed mastoid cavities. It was revealed that the post-operative outcome of this surgical technique was significantly related to the state of re-aeration of the reconstructed middle-ear cavity but not with either concurrent or staged reconstruction. Audiological results are same for both concurrent and staged reconstruction following canal wall down tympanomastoidectomy, and hence we reccommend that concurrent reconstruction is preferred in limited disease and staged reconstruction in severe disease.