HEARING LEVELS OF YOUNG-PATIENTS 10 YEARS AFTER MASTOIDECTOMY

In several reports, the functional results of mastoid surgery in child ren have been stated to be disappointing. In this study, a series of 4 9 child patients who underwent mastoid surgery for chronic suppurative otitis media were examined 10 years postoperatively. At surgery, a ch olesteatoma was detected in 49% of the patients. During the observatio n period, 33% of the patients were subjected to a second operation. At the last follow-up examination, 57% of the operated ears showed heari ng levels of 20 dB or better, but in 16% hearing levels were worse tha n 40 dB. In 16% of the patients, contralateral disease had required su rgical treatment and in only 39% of the patients the contralateral ear was found to be normal in otoscopy. Still, at the last follow-up exam ination, 90% of the better hearing ears had hearing levels of 20 dB or better and only one patient had hearing levels worse than 30 dB in bo th ears. Compared with an age- and sex-matched control group, hearing levels of the patients were significantly worse but the difference in the mean hearing levels of the better hearing ears was as little as 5 dB. Thus, 10 years after mastoidectomy, hearing levels of child patien ts were found to be better than expected.