Endoscopic Vs. Microscopic Ear Surgery In Chronic Otitis Media Patients A Prospective Study

Background: Chronic otitis media (COM) is the incessant inflammation of middle ear, which in most cases causes hearing loss and must be handled surgically. There are two main methods, endoscopic and microscopic tympanoplasty that are applied in treating COM. Assuming different techniques may lead to different surgical outcomes including graft success, improvement in hearing, and postoperative healing. Objectives: To compare surgical outcomes between endoscopic and microscopic ear surgery in patients with chronic otitis media with emphasis on graft success, hearing gain and comeback. Study Design: A Prospective Study. Place And Duration Of Study: Department of ENT Khyber Teaching Hospital Peshawar. From 12 January 2023 to 12 January 2024 Methods: The prospective study, which included a sample of 100 patients with chronic otitis media (COM), involved the random selection of participants from two groups: those undergoing endoscopic surgery and those undergoing microscopic surgery. The study aimed to compare the success of grafts, hearing improvement, post-operative complications, and recovery periods between the two groups. The chi-square test and paired t-test were employed to assess the differences between the groups. Results: A total of 100 patients participated in the study, with a mean age of 42.3 years (standard deviation: 10.4 years). The endoscopic group demonstrated a graft success rate of 94% and a mean hearing improvement of 12.5 dB, compared to 89% and a 10.2 dB improvement in the microscopic group. The p-value for hearing improvement was 0.034, which was statistically significant, indicating a notable advantage of the endoscopic treatment over the microscopic approach. Conclusions: Endoscopic surgery and microscopic surgery both have enough effectiveness in chronic otitis media. But attested findings used by endoscopic approach exhibit better results when compared with hearing and grafting results and the endoscopic method has a faster recovery time. The selection of the technique must depend on patient factors and surgeon experience.