Otologic surgery following ear trauma.

OBJECTIVES

To investigate common presentations and expected outcomes in patients with traumatically induced otologic dysfunction.

STUDY

DESIGN

Retrospective case review of patients who underwent otologic surgery for sequelae of otologic trauma over a 28-year period. Patients were stratified into major and minor trauma cohorts. Major trauma was designated as closed head injury with or without temporal bone fracture; lower-energy insults comprised the minor trauma group. Preoperative and postoperative audiograms were obtained and correlated with extent of injury.

SETTING

Tertiary referral center.

RESULTS

Major trauma accounted for 44.9 percent of all patients. The remaining 55.1 percent suffered minor trauma, of which simple traumatic tympanic membrane perforation was the most common insult (33.6%). Two hundred twenty-seven cases were performed on 214 patients. Pure tone averages improved a significant 20.8 dB to essentially normal levels postoperatively.

CONCLUSION

Regardless of injury extent, surgical rehabilitation of conductive losses attains excellent hearing results that surpass those historically reported for the chronic ear population.