Evaluation of the success of Tympanoplasty using Wideband Tympanometry

In this study, we intend to evaluate the success of tympanoplasty surgery using wideband tympanometry (WBT). Patients (n=7) with confirmed hearing loss caused by middle ear pathology were proposed for tympanoplasty. Prior to surgery, patients underwent a thorough pre-operative assessment with pure tone (air and bone) conduction and 226Hz-tympanometry. Patients returned to our outpatient department at week 3 and week 12 after surgery, when audiological exams were repeated. In addition, a WBT was also conducted as a complementary diagnostic tool prior to and 3 respectively 12 weeks after surgery. The WBT-measurements after surgery showed a tendency to normalization of the absorption and compliance from the middle ear in 6 of our patients. In these patients, an improvement in the conductive hearing loss could also be demonstrated by means of a pure tone audiogram (RTA), suggesting a successful middle ear surgery. One patient showed a worsening of the WBT curve with an increase in the air-bone gap component in the pure tone audiogram. Preliminary data suggest that the positive effect shown on WBT correlates with the improvement of the air-bone gap on pure tone audiogram. In our limited sample we could demonstrate that a successful middle ear surgery is related to a normalization of the WBT parameters. WBT seems to be a good complimentary diagnostic tool to pure tone audiogram, possibly helping physicians to determine the success of the surgical procedure. We could also determine, that a WBT measure in patients with a tympanic perforation often reveals a flat curve, due to the lack of sealing between the ear probe and the perforation. WBT can eventually also be used as diagnostic tool for the diagnosis of tympanic membrane perforations.

Publication History

Article published online:
12 May 2023