Impact of platelet-rich fibrin therapy in tympanoplasty type 1 surgery on graft survival and frequency-specific hearing outcomes: a retrospective analysis in patients with tympanic membrane perforation due to chronic otitis media

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the impact of platelet-rich fibrin therapy in tympanoplasty type 1 surgery on graft survival and frequency-specific hearing outcomes.

Methods: Patients who underwent tympanoplasty type 1 surgery were randomised into temporal fascia graft alone (n = 55) and temporal fascia graft plus platelet-rich fibrin therapy (n = 36) groups. Graft survival and hearing outcomes were recorded.

Results: Graft survival rates were significantly higher in the temporal fascia graft plus platelet-rich fibrin therapy group than in the temporal fascia graft alone group at one (100.0 vs 85.5 per cent, p = 0.020), three (97.2 vs 80.0 per cent, p = 0.024) and six months post-operatively (94.4 vs 74.5 per cent, p = 0.031). The difference in hearing gain between groups was not significant.

Conclusion: Our findings revealed that the use of a platelet-rich fibrin plus temporal fascia graft for type 1 tympanoplasty was associated with more favourable post-operative outcomes than the use of temporal fascia alone, both in terms of tympanic membrane healing and graft survival; hearing restoration outcomes were similar.

Keywords: Fascia Graft; Graft Survival; Otitis Media; Platelet-Rich Fibrin; Tympanic Membrane Perforation; Tympanoplasty.