Tympanoplasty outcomes in elderly patients

• Published in: Auris, nasus, larynx nasus, larynx, 2016-02, Vol.43 (1), p.33-36
• Main Authors: Demirci, Sule, Tuzuner, Arzu, Callıoglu, Elif Ersoy, Akdaglı, Seden, Karadas, Hatice, Caylan, Refik
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Age Factors; Aged; Aging; Audiometry, Pure-Tone; Bone Conduction; Cohort Studies; Ear Cartilage - transplantation; Elderly; Fascia - transplantation; Female; Hearing Loss, Conductive - etiology; Hearing Loss, Conductive - surgery; Humans; Male; Mastoid - surgery; Middle Aged; Myringoplasty - methods; Otolaryngology; Retrospective Studies; Temporal Bone - diagnostic imaging; Temporal Muscle; Tomography, X-Ray Computed; Treatment Outcome; Tympanic Membrane Perforation - complications; Tympanic Membrane Perforation - surgery; Tympanoplasty; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0385-8146; 1879-1476
• DOI: 10.1016/j.anl.2015.05.002

Abstract Objective To investigate the outcomes of tympanoplasty in elderly (≥60 years) compared with young patients (18–59 years). Materials and methods Patients who had been performed type I tympanoplasty between 2009 and 2012 were retrospectively analyzed. Preoperative and postoperative audiological results and the graft success of 42 older patients were compared with those of 72 younger ones. Results The mean preoperative air conduction levels were statistically significantly higher in older group (57.4 ± 16.8 dB) than younger group (37.3 ± 10.3 dB) ( p < 0.001). Preoperative bone conduction levels were statistically significantly higher in older group (28.5 ± 13.4 dB) than in the younger group (12.4 ± 4.8 dB) ( p < 0.001). The mean preoperative and postoperative air-bone gaps were statistically significantly larger in the older group (28.5 ± 11.0 dB, 16.4 ± 9.0 dB) than in the younger group (24.9 ± 7.7 dB, 12.4 ± 8.0 dB respectively) ( p < 0.001). The intragroup comparisons of preoperative and postoperative mean air-bone gaps revealed statistically significant improvements in both groups ( p < 0.001 for both). Graft success rates and the mean hearing gains were not statistically significantly different between the groups ( p = 0.225, p = 0.786 respectively). Conclusion Although preoperative and postoperative air and bone conduction levels were worse in the older group, graft take rates and postoperative hearing gain did not differ between the groups. If the physical status is stable tympanoplasty procedure can be recommended for elderly patients.