Humanitarian otologic missions: long-term surgical results.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy of treating chronic ear disease by performing a single surgical intervention in the austere environment of a developing nation.
Subjects and Methods: Data were collected from retrospective chart reviews on 121 patients who underwent surgical treatment of chronic ear disease during humanitarian surgical missions in South and Central America. Surgical outcomes and clinical course were assessed at 10 to 12 months after the initial surgery.
Results: A total of 117 patients were included in the study. Follow-up records were available for 75 patients (64%). A total of 20 surgeries were performed for dry perforations (group 1), 30 for chronically draining ears (group 2), and 25 for cholesteatomas (group 3). Surgical success was determined as 60 percent, 74 percent, and 92 percent for groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively.
Conclusions: Surgical results during international otologic outreach missions to developing nations fall within the results expected in developed nations.