MYRINGOPLASTY - EFFECTS ON HEARING AND CONTRIBUTING FACTORS

Indications for myringoplasty are chronic otorrhoea and hearing impair ment. Some authors have described poor postoperative hearing results a nd sensorineural hearing loss associated with the surgery, and questio n the indication for myringoplasty on an ear with normal hearing (< 25 dB). This study of 211 consecutive myringoplasties performed over 1 y ear details the ''take rate,'' hearing gains and losses, and factors f ound to influence the above. The take rate of 78% is comparable with f igures in the literature. The most significant factors influencing thi s are the grade of the surgeon and the size of the perforation. The av erage pre-operative air-bone gap was closed from 23,7 dB to 13,9 dB wi th a 4,5% incidence of postoperative sensorineural hearing loss. Posto peratively 77,9% of patients had an air-bone gap of less than 20 dB. W e conclude that myringoplasty is a beneficial procedure, closing the t ympanic membrane and improving the hearing.