Myringoplasty: hearing gain in relation to perforation site.

One hundred perforations of the tympanic membrane with successful myringoplasties have been reviewed. A partially reversible impairment of bone conduction was noted, being more obvious in posterior and subtotal perforations. It was also shown that the site of perforation affects the degree of hearing loss and the degree of subsequent improvement after myringoplasty; marginal and malleolar perforations had a greater hearing loss and less post-operative hearing improvement than central and non-malleolar perforations. It was also shown that posterior perforations had a greater hearing loss than anterior perforations.