Outcome of conchal cartilage shield type I tympanoplasty: a prospective study of 70 patients

Background: Tympanoplasty is a surgical procedure performed to reconstruct hearing mechanism with or without reconstruction of tympanic membrane perforation. Cartilage shield tympanoplasty was first reported in literature by Duckert et al in 1995.The purpose of the present study was to prepare the cartilage shield graft and to evaluate its effect on the success rate of tympanoplasty.Methods: In this study 70 patients who presented to ENT OPD of Aarupadai Veedu medical college, Puducherry, with chronic otitis media (COM) mucosal type, who were treated during the period between December 2016 to April 2018 were enrolled. Patients with COM mucosal type, with mild to moderate conductive hearing loss, dry or moist ear were included in the study. Detailed history was taken in the selected patients including a thorough otological examination and blood investigations required for surgery. Results: In the present study male to female ratio was 1.6:1. 30% patients were in the age group between 20-24years. In our study 33% patients had pre-operative airbone gap in the range of 31-40 dB and post-operative improvement in airbone gap was in the range of 0-10 dB in 49% patients.Conclusions: Conchal cartilage shield tympanoplasty is an effective technique in tympanic membrane reconstruction and shows no detrimental effect to the hearing outcome. Conchal cartilage is preferred graft as it can be harvested from same incision. The graft uptake rates are excellent with this technique.