Prolonged Middle Ear Ventilation by Cartilage-Grommet Tympanoplasty

Kartik Parelkar, Smita Nagle, Mohan Jagade, Vandana Thorawade, Poonam Khairnar, Anoop Attakil, Madhavi Pandare, Rajanala Nataraj, Reshma Hanwate, Rajesh Kar

Department of ENT, Grant Government Medical College & Sir J J Group of Hospitals, Mumbai, India.

DOI: 10.4236/ijohns.2015.41003                

Abstract

In 1994, the American Otological Society reported favourable experience with composite cartilage shield tympanoplasty. The tragal cartilage with a grommet inserted in it was used for tympanoplasty in our patient with unilateral CSOM, supposedly because of severe chronic eustachian tube dysfunction. The marriage of cartilage tympanoplasty with grommet insertion was aimed to add the advantages and abolish the disadvantages of both the procedures. In 1990 Lary Hall first introduced the “long term ventilation of the middle ear” with a T-tube placed in the tragal cartilage perichondrium composite island graft. T-tube insertion in the cartilage has been described. But insertion of the Indian Sheperds grommet (ventilation tube) in the cartilage graft as described in this case and its technique are possibly the first of its kinds in literature. The report is aimed to ignite innovation of newer and better techniques of cartilage tympanoplasty.

Keywords

Tragal Cartilage, Grommet, Tympanoplasty

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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