Surgery of chronic adhesive otitis media.

The results of tympanoplasty operations in 55 ears with chronic adhesive otitis media were analysed. In 34% of the ears, the tympanic cavity was found to be aerated on follow-up examination. Hearing improved significantly in only 13 ears (24%). There were severe complications of surgery in two ears (3.6%): one ear became totally deaf and an iatrogenic cholesteatoma developed in the other. Because of these poor results, tympanoplasty is not recommended in the treatment of chronic adhesive otitis media.