Vol. 1, Issue 1 (2015)

Background and Objectives: Chronic otitis media (COM) often causes the tympanic membrane to break, which can cause hearing loss and infections that come back. Different methods are used to fix the tympanic membrane, such as underlay, overlay, and grafting with temporalis fascia or cartilage. The objective of this study was to evaluate the morphological and functional outcomes of various tympanic membrane restoration procedures in patients with chronic otitis media. Material and Methods: This prospective study included 70 patients diagnosed with chronic otitis media with tympanic membrane perforation. Patients were categorized into three groups according to the surgical repair technique: underlay tympanoplasty (n=25), overlay tympanoplasty (n=25), and cartilage graft tympanoplasty (n=20). The preoperative evaluation comprised otoscopic examination, pure tone audiometry, and assessment of the perforation's size and location. Three and six months after surgery, we looked at the results to see how well the graft was taken, how much better the hearing was (by measuring the air-bone gap), and any problems that came up after surgery. A statistical study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the approaches. Results: The underlay tympanoplasty group had the highest graft uptake rate (92%), whereas the overlay group had the lowest (88%) and the cartilage graft group had the lowest (90%) (p>0.05). The mean improvement in hearing was 16.5±5.2 dB for the underlay group, 14.8 ± 6.1 dB for the overlay group, and 15.6 ± 4.8 dB for the cartilage graft group. There was no statistically significant difference between the groups (p = 0.38). There were very few problems after surgery, and in a few cases, there was modest temporary otorrhea and tympanic membrane retraction. Conclusion: All three tympanic membrane repair methods had high success rates for grafts and similar improvements in hearing. The surgeon's preference, the characteristics of the perforation, and the patient's individual needs may all play a role in choosing the best procedure. Early intervention and meticulous surgical planning can enhance both morphological and functional outcomes in individuals with chronic otitis media.