DEFINITION
TYMPANOPLASTY
According to the American Academy of
Opthalmologyand Otolaryngology Subcommittee on
Conversation of Hearing 1965 definition,
tympanoplastyis “ a procedure to eradicate
disease in the middle ear and to reconstruct the
hearing mechanism, with or without tympanic
membrane grafting “
TYMPANOPLASTY includes :
•Canalplasty(widening of bony part of the external
auditory canal)
•Myringoplasty(closure of the eardrum perforation in
cases with a normal ossicularchain and without any other
surgical procedures in the tympanic cavity or middle ear)
•Ossiculoplasty(reconstruction of ossicularchain)
HISTORY
WULLSTEIN–in 1953 introduced the term
“TYMPANOPLASTY ”
KESSEL –in 1878 did stapes mobilization
BERTHOLD–in 1878plasticrepair of tympanic
membrane
SOURDILLE –tympanolabyrinthopexyfor
otosclerosis
MORITZ –in 1950 described use of pedicledflaps
to construct a closed middle ear cavity in cases of
chronic suppuration to provide sound shielding for
round window in preparation for later fenestration of
horizontal SCC
HISTORY
WULLSTEIN–advocated free skin transplants rather
than the pedicledgraftsused by MORITZ,
ZOLLNER–soon after changed from pedicledto free
graftsas well. He replaced free distant skin graft with
meatalskin.
SHEAANDTABB–in 1960 reported veinas grafting
material
HEERMANN –1961 described temporalisfascia as
grafting material
STORRS–in 1963 introduced temporalisfascia as a
graft in the united states.
HISTORY
HALLANDRYTZNER-in 1957 described ossicular
repositioning
Homograft ossiclesfor reconstructing the ossicular
chain in tympanoplastybecame popular in the early
1960s
GLASSCOCK ANDHOUSE–in 1968 reported the first
large series of homograft tympanic membrane
procedures
AIMS OF TYMPANOPLASTY
1.Eradication of disease
2.Restoration of tympanic membrane
3.Reconstruction of a sound transformer mechanism
OBJECTIVES OF
TYMPANOPLASTY
IN DECREASING ORDER OF PRIORITY
elimination of disease to produce a safe and dry ear;
alteration of anatomy to prevent recurrent disease,
and to optimize cleaning and otologicmonitoring;
reconstruction of the middle ear to achieve
serviceable and stable postoperative hearing
•The results of tympanoplasty are measured in terms of
success or failure of graft take and hearing improvement
•Individuals with bening perforations and simple ossicular
chain deficits have a very good to excelent chance of
obtaining a dry ear and hearing within normal range
•Such a patient may expect 93 to 97% chance of graft “take”
and an 85 to 90% chance for hearing gain to within 20dB of
bone level.
TYPES OF TYMPANOPLASTY
ACCORDING TO WULLSTEIN (1968)
TYPE I-TYMPANOPLASTY
TYPE I –perforation in tympanic membrane
repaired with a graft. Intact ossicular chain .
Myringoplasty
TYPE II -TYMPANOPLASTY
TYPE II –defective or absent malleus handle, but intact
incudostapedial joint. The fascia is placed on the
lenticular process of the incus. Myringoincudopexy
TYPE III –malleus and incus are absent. Graft is
placed directly on the stapes head.
Myringostapediopexy producing a shallow middle ear
and a collumella effect.
TYPE III -TYMPANOPLASTY
TYPE IV -TYMPANOPLASTY
TYPE IV –only the foot plate of stapes is present . It is
exposed to the external ear and graft is placed between
the oval and round windows. A narrow middle ear
(cavum minor) is thus created, to have an air pocket
around the round window
TYPE V -TYMPANOPLASTY
TYPE V –stapes footplate is fixed but round window is
functioning. Another window is created on horizontal
SCC and covered with a graft. Fenestration Operation
•TYMPANOPLASTY TYPE 1 –similar to wullstein
type 1 ,i.e intact chain
•TYMPANOPLASTY TYPE 2 -defective long process
of the incus. Interposition of an ossicle, or any other
prosthesis, between the stapedial arch and the malleus
handle or eardrum.
•TYMPANOPLASTY TYPE 3 –absent or severely
defective stapedialarch. Placement of a columella
between the footplate and the malleushandle or
eardrum
•TYMPANOPLASTY TYPE 4 -sound protection of the round
window with a graft, and formation of an air space in the
hypotympanum. The footplate is covered by keratinized
epithelium.
•TYMPANOPLASTY TYPE 5A –fenestration of the lateral
SCC(arrow) in cases with no ossiclesand a fixed footplate.
In such cases the stapedialarch is usually missing. The
round window is protected.
•TYMPANOPLASTY TYPE 5B –Platinectomy . The
oval window niche is filled with fatty or fibrous tissue
FARRIOR’S CLASSIFICATION
(1968)
TYPE 1-cases with intact ossicular chain or
myringoplasty
TYPE 2 –reconstruction of a new ear drum, placed in
contact with a normal, mobile incus in cases with a
missing malleus handle, similar to Wullstein type 2 –
myringoincudopexy
TYPE 3 –interposition of a bone graft between the intact
stapes and the ear drum or the malleus handle,
corresponding to Tos type 2 classification.
TYPE 4 –denotes cases with a missing stapedial arch,
reconstructed by a columella, corresponding to Tos type 3
classification.
TYPE 5 –fenestration of the lateral SCC , same as
Wullstein’s type 5.
TYPE 6 –myringoplasty in cases with no ossiculoplasty and
no restoration of the hearing, for instance in scar tissue,
tympanosclerosis around the windows, and disease of the
Eustachian tube.
OTHER CLASSIFICATIONS
BELLUCCI’S modified Wullsteinclassification for
the prognosis of hearing improvement.
1.Type 1 : Intact ossicles
2.Type 2 : Minor ossiculardefects
3.Type 3 : Severe ossiculardefects but stapes arch
intact
4.Type 4 : Cavumminor
KLEY’S CLASSIFICATION (1982)
(A) Type I. Repair of tympanic membrane (TM) with
temporalis fascia.
(B) Type III: minor columella. Ossicularstrut or partial
ossicularreplacement prosthesis (PORP) is placed
between stapes head and manubrium/TM.
(C) Type III: major columella. Total ossicular
replacement prosthesis (TORP) is placed from stapes
footplate to the manubrium/TM.
(D) Type III: stapes columella. Performed with canal wall-
down (CWD) mastoidectomy and obliteration of mastoid.
Thin cartilage disk and temporalis fascia are placed on
stapes head.
(E) Type IV. Round window is acoustically shielded by
thick cartilage and temporalis fascia while footplate is
covered with thin skin graft.Also performed with CWD
mastoidectomy
(F) Type V. Similar to type IV, except for total
stapedectomy and footplate replacement by an adipose
graft.
INDICATIONS FOR TYMPANOPLASTY
Tympanic membrane perforations and associated
hearing loss with or without middle ear pathology
such as tympanosclerosis , small retraction pockets ,
and cholesteatomas.
CONTRAINDICATIONS
ABSOLUTE –
1.Poor general health
2.Malignant tumoursof outer / middle ear
3.Uncontrolled cholesteatoma
4.Unusual infections like malignant otitisexterna
5.Complications of chronic ear disease such as
meningitis , brain abscess ,or lateral sinus
thrombosis
6.If it is the only or significantly better hearing ear.
CONTRAINDICATIONS
RELATIVE –
1.Nonfunctioning eustachian tube
2.Nasal allergy
3.Chronic Otitis externa
4.Acute exacerbation of chronic otitis media ,
chronic mucoid discharge associated with allergic
rhinosinusitis
PREOPERATIVE EVALUATION
Complete history and head and neck examination
Otoscopic examination , best accomplished by
operating microscope
Audiogram ,including PTA and air bone conduction
thresholds as well as speech discrimination scores.
ANESTHESIA
1.GENERAL ANESTHESIA –
•Extensive removal of tympanic cavity mucosa or tympanic
cavity cholesteatoma
•Any surgery in the anterior tympanon or tympanic orifice
of the Eustachian tube
•Cases requiring mastoidectomy or reconstruction of the ear
canal
•Children
•Uncooperative adults, apprehensive adults
•Patients who spontaneously prefer or request GA
•Any surgery lasting more than1 ½ -2 hours.
•Revision tympanoplastieswhere major pieces of temporal
muscle fascia have already been harvested previously
2.LOCAL ANESTHESIA –
•Limited to cooperative adults with dry, noninfected
ears and no evidence of mastoid disease.
POSITIONING OF THE PATIENT
Patient is placed closed to the edge of the table,
Patient’s body strapped on table with both arms
padded and tucked closed to body.
Head turned approx 120 degrees away from surgeon
and is supported with a folded towel placed b/t
table and contralateral cheek.
Operating table which can rotate along its long axis.
Hydraulic chair.
INSTRUMENTS
Bard parker handle and blade no 15, straight and curved scissors,
toothed and non toothed forceps, artery forceps, sponge holder
Rosen aural speculum ,tumarkinslotted aural speculum
Mollisonand Wullsteinself retaining retractors, Cottledouble hook
retractor
House graft press forceps
Freer and Farabeufperiostealelevators
Wullsteinneedle
Sickle knife
Plestorfirst incision knife
Circular cutting knife
Rosen elevator
House curette
Micro aural crocodile forceps, micro aural cup forceps, micro aural
scissors
Needle holder ( Kilnerand micro fine)
TRANSCANAL APPROACH
Surgery is performed through an ear speculum in the ear canal.
Mostly used for reparingacute truamaticperforations.
Indicated when the external auditory canal is wide.
Cannot be used when anterior margin of perforation is obscured by
overhanging canal wall.
TRANSCANAL APPROACH
SURGICAL STEPS
Local anesthesia
Use of the ear speculum
Fixation of the ear speculum
Exposure of the traumatic perforation
Outfolding of perforation margins (1.5mm,90 hook)
Intratympanic fixation of perforation margins (gelfoam)
Extratympanic fixation of perforation margins.
ENDAURAL APPROACH
A small incision is made between the tragus and the helix.
Selected for posterior perforations.
A posterior overhang of bone can be eliminated with a burr.
A more anterior surgical view than with the transcanalapproach
However , most anterior perforations are still obscured by the
anteroinferioroverhang of the bony external canal
ENDAURAL APPROACH
SURGICAL STEPS
Local anesthesia
Endaural incision
Refreshing of perforation margins
Elevation of tympanomeatal flap
Anterior fascial underlay(fresh tragal perichondrium)
Repositioning the tympanomeatal flap
Fixation of underlaid fascia with intratympanic gelfoam
Wound closure.
RETROAURICULAR APPROACH
With this approach, the pinnaand the attached retroauriculartissues are
reflected anteriorly.
For anterior perforations whose margins cannot be seen entirely through the
intact external canal.
The removal of the overhanging canal walls provides for complete exposure
of the anterior edge of the tympanic membrane
RETROAURICULAR APPROACH
SURGICAL STEPS
Anesthesia
Retroauricular skin incision
Temporalis fascia graft harvesting
Periosteal flap raised
Exposure of the external auditory canal
Dissection of the perforation edge
Elevation of tympanomeatal flap
Checking the ossicular continuity
Grafting and Repositioning the tympanomeatal flap
Fixation of graft with gelfoam
Wound closure.
TYMPANOTOMIES
Opening the tympanic cavity by elevating a
tympanomeatal flap together with the fibrous annulus.
Tympanotomies can be divided into:
1.Posterior tympanotomy-12–o’clock to 6-o’clock
posteriorly (rosen incision).
2.Inferior tympanotomy –9-o’clock to 3-o’clock incision
inferiorly.
3.Anterior tympanotomy –12-o’clock to the 6-o’clock
incision about 5mm lateral to annulus anteriorly.
4.Superior tympanotomy -9-o’clock to 3-o’clock incision
about 5mm lateral to shrapnell’s membrane.
GRAFT MATERIALS
1) AUTOGRAFT (AUTOGENOUS GRAFT) –graft
from same person. These include:
Temporalismusclefascia
Tragalperichondrium
Conchalperichondrium
Tragalorconchalcartilage
Periosteum(mastoidprocessandtemporalsquama)
Vein(greatsaphenousvein,cubitalvein)
Fattytissue(earlobule)
Subcutaneoustissue
Fascialata
Earcanalskin
Heterotropicskin(skinharvestedoutsidetheearcanal)
2) ALLOGENOUS GRAFTS ( graft from another
person)
Allogenouseardrum
Lyophilizeddura
3)XENOGENOUS GRAFTS(graftfromanimals)
Bovineperitoneum
Bovinedrum
Bovinejugularvein
OVERLAY TECHNIQUE
This technique is used when there is no remnant of the tympanic
membrane.
The graft rests over the anterior and the posterior tympanic sulcus
and underneath the malleushandle.
The edges of the graft are covered by meatalskin.
UNDERLAY TECHNIQUE
The presence of an anterior remnant of the tympanic membrane is required
for this type of fascialgraft.
The graft is placed under the anterior remanentof the tympanic membrane
and over the posterior tympanic sulcus.
The graft lies under the malleushandle.
POSTOPERATIVE CARE
PRECAUTIONS
•Do not drive home after discharged the next morning
•No air travel until 4 weeks after surgery
•Do not blow nose until ear is healed
•When sneezing, keep mouth open
•Avoid water entering ear canal
•Oral antibiotics
•First postoperative visit after one week
•The gelfoamover graft is gently suctioned away, if still
present , at the second visit 3 to 4 weeks later.
•Improvement in hearing can be noticed 6 to 8 weeks after
surgery, but maximum may take 4 to 6 months