Complications after middle ear reconstruction surgery - Is a preoperative or perioperative risk stratification intended?

Introduction:

Whereas in general surgical disciplines many risk factors risk factors for the development of postoperative complications are well known, comparable data in the field of middle ear surgery are not available. In order to enable preoperative and perioperative risk stratification, a detailed analysis of complication rates and possible influencing factors was carried out for the first time.

Methods:

All middle ear reconstruction surgeries between 01/2016 and 08/2017 in a tertiary referential center were analyzed retrospectively for the occurrence of early complications. Complication rate and the influence of patient-specific, pathology-related as well as operation-related factors were examined after single-factor and multifactorial analyses.

Results:

A total number of 377 ear surgeries were analyzed. Complications were categorized as major and minor complications. Major complications after middle ear surgery such as bone conduction threshold depression (7%) and facial paralysis (3%) are comparatively rare. A postoperative deafness was not observed. Patient-related factors (diabetes, hypertension, obesity) as well as surgical (surgical technique, kind of prosthesis, drilling) and pathology-related factors (cholesteatoma, revision surgery) had no significant influence. However, a hypertension was identified as significant risk factor for postoperative bone conduction hearing loss.

Conclusion:

Major complications after middle ear reconstruction surgery are rare. Patient-specific risk factors – well known from other surgical disciplines – had only a marginal impact on the development of complications after middle ear surgery.

Publikationsverlauf

Publikationsdatum:
23. April 2019 (online)