TREATMENT OF CHRONIC OTITIS-EXTERNA BY KTP 532 LASER/

The traditional meatoplasty operations performed for chronic otitis ex terna, which has entered the 'fibrotic' phase, are often unsatisfactor y because the results in terms of canal patency, hearing gain and pati ent satisfaction are variable. Although the use of laser in chronic ea r surgery is well recognized, it has not been previously reported as a meatoplasty technique. Ten KTP laser meatoplasty operations were perf ormed on eight patients with chronic otitis externa. This pilot study shows the technique to be effective, fast and with a high patient sati sfaction rate in the short-term (mean follow-up period 9.3 months). Th e-average increase in hearing thresholds was 24 dB HL. Significant pat ient benefit was obtained in at least six out of eight patients using the Belfast rule of thumb. The technique has many advantages over the traditional meatoplasty operations but the long-term results require e valuation.