Cartilage palisade tympanoplasty and diving

Objective: To determine whether a patient with a serious defect of the tymp anic membrane (TM) will be able to dive after surgery. Patients and Methods: The authors describe three patients who were divers w ith serious defects of the TM (more than 75% of TM). In all three cases, ca rtilage palisade tympanoplasty was used to reconstruct the TM. Results: Six months after surgery, the patients passed clinical examination s, audiograms (hearing restored to normal), tympanometry (increased stiffne ss of the TM), and pressure tolerance tests in hyperbaric chamber (30-m imm ersion was simulated for 4 minutes), and they began to dive again. Approxim ately 2 years after the surgery, all three patients are able to dive withou t any difficulties. Conclusion: The authors conclude that patients can dive after cartilage pal isade tympanoplasty.