Objective: To report our experience with "loop overlay" tympanoplasty, a modified overlay technique with a superiorly based skin flap, for the reconstruction of anterior, subtotal or total tympanic membrane (TM) perforations.
Methods: Retrospective review of patients undergoing loop overlay tympanoplasty from March 1998 to February 2007 was performed. Four hundred and twenty-nine patients who underwent loop overlay tympanoplasty and then follow-up visits a minimum of 6 months later were included in this study. Hearing test results were reported using a four-frequency (0.5, 1, 2, and 3kHz) pure tone average air-bone gap. The outcome was considered successful if the TM was intact without lateralization or anterior blunting after the follow-up visit.
Results: There was a 98.8% success rate. There was no graft lateralization, anterior blunting, neocholesteatoma, or sensorineural hearing loss. The mean preoperative to postoperative four-tone air-bone gap improved from 23.5 to 8.1dB, which is a mean gain of 15dB; this was statistically significant (p<0.001, paired sample t-test).
Conclusion: The loop overlay graft method is a safe and effective technique for reconstruction of anterior, subtotal or total TM perforations, with excellent graft take and significant improvement of hearing. It provides a precise replacement of the flap and a preserved healing plane.
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