Endoscopic push through tragal cartilage tympanoplasty: A 10-year retrospective review of our technique and outcomes

BACKGROUND Endoscopic ear surgery(EES)provides a magnified,high-definition view of the otological surgical field.EES allows otologists to avoid surgical incisions and associated postoperative complications.It is an ideal technique for the perfor-mance and teaching of tympanoplasty.AIM To examine the efficacy of total Endoscopic Push Through Tragal Cartilage Tympanoplasty(EPTTCT),at our institution over a 10-year period.METHODS A retrospective analysis of 168 cases of EPTTCT for closure of small to medium tympanic membrane perforations from 2013-2023 was conducted.Patient sex,age range(pediatric vs adult),etiology of injury,success rate,complications,and postoperative hearing status were collected.RESULTS Graft uptake results indicated success in 94%of patients,with less than a 2%complication rate.Postoperative pure tone audiometry demonstrated hearing status improvement in 69%of patients.CONCLUSION EPTTCT has been shown to be effective in tympanic membrane perforation closures with minimal complications.This study further demonstrates the efficacy and safety of these procedures in a single-center review.

Conjunctival flap with auricular cartilage grafting: a modified Hughes procedure for large full thickness upper and lower eyelid defect reconstruction

AIM:To investigate the suitability of a modified Hughes procedure,which consists of conjunctival flap with auricular cartilage grafting in reconstructing large full thickness upper and lower eyelid defect.METHODS:Patients with full thickness eyelid carcinoma involving more than 50%margin length who underwent surgical resection were retrospectively reviewed in the study.The defects were reconstructed using conjunctival flap with auricular cartilage grafting,covered with myocutaneous flap above.Followed-up time ranged from 12 to 24 mo.Outcomes were classified as“good”,“fair”,and“poor”by evaluating the margin appearance,eyelid appearance,and complications.RESULTS:A total of 42 patients were enrolled in the study(26 males,16 females,mean age,68.6±7.7 y,range:53 to 82 y).The mean defect widths measured 23.2±2.9 mm(range,17 to 28 mm).The mean posterior lamellar defect height was 5.5±1.3 mm(4 to 8 mm).Thirty-seven patients had a“good”outcome(88.1%),5 patients had a“fair”outcome(11.9%),and no one had a“poor”outcome.CONCLUSION:Conjunctival flap with auricular cartilage grafting and myocutaneous flap grafting is an effective procedure in reconstructing large full thickness upper and lower eyelid defect.It can not only achieve satisfied reconstruction,but also preserve intact tarsal plate of the opposite eyelid,avoiding retraction or entropion.

How and when of eyelid reconstruction using autologous transplantation

Reconstructive surgery of the eyelid after tumor excision,trauma or other causes can be challenging,especially due to the complexities of the anatomic structures and to the necessity of both functional and aesthetic successful outcomes.The aim of this minireview was to investigate the use of tissue transplantation in eyelid reconstruction.Surgical procedures are various,based on the use of both flaps,pedicled or free,and grafts,in order to guarantee adequate tissue reconstruction and blood supply,which are necessary for correct healing.Common techniques normally include the use of local tissues,combining non-vascularized grafts with a vascularized flap for the two lamellae repair,to attempt a reconstruction similar to the original anatomy.When defects are too wide,vast,deep,and complex or when no adjacent healthy tissues are available,distant area tissues need to be recruited as free flaps or grafts and paired with mucosal layer reconstruction.With regards to the anterior lamella,full thickness skin grafts are commonly preferred.With regards to the reconstruction of posterior lamella,there are different graft options,which include conjunctival or tarsoconjunctival,mucosal or palatal or cartilaginous grafts usually combined with local flaps.Free flap transplantation,normally reserved for rare select cases,include the use of the radial forearm and anterolateral flaps combined with mucosal grafts,which are surgical options currently reported in the literature.

Total nasal septal reconstruction using costal cartilage in difficult cases of secondary septoplasty

Rhinoplasty and septal reconstruction often require the use of cartilage grafts.Complete nasal septal reconstruction may be required in very specific situations like difficult secondary septoplasty or severely deformed post traumatic noses.Usually in these cases the septal cartilage or bone is insufficient for septal reconstruction.The authors hereby describe a new technique of complete septal reconstruction by using the 7th rib(costal)cartilage combined with author’s ingenious technique to prevent warping.

Transmastoid resurfacing versus middle fossa plugging for repair of superior canal dehiscence:Comparison of techniques from a retrospective cohort

Objective:To compare and contrast our experience with middle cranial fossa approach (MFR) and transmastoid approach with capping of the dehiscence (TMR) of superior semicircular canal dehiscence and to determine guidelines to help guide management of these patients. Methods:All patients from 2005 to 2014 with symptomatic superior semicircular canal dehis-cence syndrome with dehiscence demonstrated on CT scan of the temporal bone who under-went surgical repair and had a minimum 3 months of follow up. Surgical repair via the MFR or TMR, preoperative CT temporal bone, preoperative, and postoperative cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potential (cVEMP) testing and anterior canal video head thrust testing (vHIT). Success of repair was stratified as complete success, moderate success, mild success, or failure based on resolution of all symptoms, the chief complaint, some symptoms, or no improvement, respectively. Results:A total of 29 ears in 27 patients underwent surgical repair of canal dehiscence. Com-plete or moderate success was seen in 71% of the MFR group compared to 80% of the TMR group. There were zero failures with the MFR group and no major intracranial complications.There were 2 failures out of 15 ears that underwent the TMR. Residual symptoms were most commonly vertigo or disequilibrium in the MFR and aural fullness or autophony in the TMR groups, respectively. MFR hospital stay was approximately 2 days longer. Average cVEMP threshold shifted 18 dB with surgical correction in the MFR group. A 29 dB average shift was seen in the TMR group. The MFR group had a significant reduction in their anterior canal gain compared to the TMR group. Conclusions:TMR is a less invasive alternative to MFR. However, in our series, we have not seen any intracranial complications (aphasia, stroke, seizures, etc.) in our MFR patients. Interest-ingly, vestibular symptoms were better addressed than audiological symptoms by the TMR sug-gesting its usefulness as a less invasive option for patients with primarily vestibular complaints. Residual auditory symptoms in TMR patients may be due to the flow of acoustic energy from the superior canal to the mastoid cavity through an incompletely sealed third window.