ENDOSCOPIC EAR SURGERY:6 YEARS EXPERIENCE
Muaaz Tarabichi MD
American Hospital-Dubai
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Over the last 6 years I have increasingly relied on the endoscope to perform ear surgery and it has replaced the microscope as the central instrument in my practice. There were 234 procedures performed, including medial and lateral graft tympanoplasty, stapedectomy, exploration of the middle ear cavity and removal of cholesteatoma from the middle ear, attic, and antrum. The endoscope allows transcanal access to anterior perforations, attic, antrum, facial recess, hypotympanum and the anterior part of the middle ear; this translates into increased utilization of transcanal procedures versus postauricular approach.
There were no endoscope related adverse events. There were no incidents of facial nerve paralysis. Bone conduction thresholds were stable except in one patient who had perilymphatic fistula. The endoscope holds the most advantage and promise in Cholesteatoma and tympanoplasty surgery and the least advantage in stapedectomy