Balloon dilatation eustachian tuboplasty: a clinical study

Abstract

Objectives/hypothesis: To assess the feasibility of balloon dilatation eustachian tuboplasty (BET) as an option for treatment of patients with eustachian tube (ET) dysfunction.

Study design: Ethics approved case controlled interventional study.

Methods: Eight patients were identified with poor ET function using a ET score and were assigned to the study. The endoscopic procedure involved the dilatation of the cartilaginous and bony portion of 13 ETs with a balloon catheter. Pre- and postinterventional computed tomography was performed. All patients were reassessed 1, 2, and 8 weeks after BET.

Results: BET was technically easy to perform. No damage to essential structures, particularly the carotid canal, was found in the human study. Patients revealed a significant improvement of the ET score comparing pre- and the 2-month post-treatment results. Improvement was found to be time dependent.

Conclusions: This newly introduced method of BET was found to be a feasible and safe procedure to inflate the ET. It significantly helped to improve ET function in our study group. However, larger long-term studies are necessary to fully evaluate the clinical value of BET.