Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2020 Mar;15(1):27-32.
doi: 10.1016/j.joto.2019.11.004. Epub 2019 Dec 2.

Endoscopic ear surgery

Ismet Emrah Emre  1 , Cemal Cingi  2 , Nuray Bayar Muluk  3 , João Flávio Nogueira  4
Affiliations
Review

Endoscopic ear surgery

Ismet Emrah Emre et al. J Otol. 2020 Mar.

Abstract

Objectives: This article reviews the advantages and disadvantages of endoscopic ear surgery (EES).

Method: Pubmed, Google and the Proquest Central Database at Kırıkkale University were queried using the keywords "endoscopic ear surgery", "ear surgery" and "endoscopy" to identify the literature needed for the review.

Results: Endoscopes allow for enhanced surgical visualisation. The distal part of the apparatus is illuminated and contains lenses angled to allow a wider view of the operative area. Transcanal endoscopic techniques have transformed the external ear canal (EAC) into an operative gateway. The benefits EES can offer include wider views, enhanced imaging capabilities and increased magnification, and ways to see otherwise poorly visualisable portions of the middle ear. EES permits surgeons to operate using minimally invasive otological techniques. When compared with microscope-assisted surgery, endoscopic tympanoplasty has been shown to require a shorter operating time in some instances. There are a number of drawbacks to EES, however, which include the fact that it is a single-handed technique, that the light source may produce thermal injury and that visualisation using the endoscope is severely curtailed if bleeding is profuse.

Conclusion: EES is a safe and effective technique. The current literature supports the idea that the results achieved by endoscopic methods are usually comparably beneficial to results obtained using conventional microscopic methods.

Keywords: Benefit; Ear surgery; Endoscopic ear surgery; Endoscopy.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Author Ismet Emrah Emre declares that he has no conflict of interest. Author Cemal Cingi declares that he has no conflict of interest. Author Nuray Bayar Muluk declares that she has no conflict of interest. Author João Flávio Nogueira declares that he has no conflict of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Endoscopic view of incudostapedial joint, stapes, stapedial tendon, pyramidal eminence, and round window in the right middle ear cavity. Courtesy of Associate Professor Abdullah Dalgıç.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Endoscopic view of the Jacobson nerve. Courtesy of Associate Professor Abdullah Dalgıç.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Endoscopic view of over-underlay tympanoplasty and ossicles. Courtesy of Associate Professor Abdullah Dalgıç.
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Endoscopic view of an anterior perforation in the tympanic membrane. Courtesy of Associate Professor Abdullah Dalgıç.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Ayache S., Tramier B., Strunski V. Otoendoscopy in cholesteatoma surgery of the middle ear: what benefits can be expected? Otol. Neurotol. 2008;29:1085–1090. - PubMed
    1. Badr-el-Dine M. Value of ear endoscopy in cholesteatoma surgery. Otol. Neurotol. 2002;23:631–635. - PubMed
    1. Barakate M., Bottrill I. Combined approach tympanoplasty for cholesteatoma: impact of middle-ear endoscopy. J. Laryngol. Otol. 2008;122:120–124. - PubMed
    1. Bottrill I., Perrault D.F., Jr., Poe D. In vitro and in vivo determination of the thermal effect of middle ear endoscopy. The Laryngoscope. 1996;106(2 Pt 1):213–216. - PubMed
    1. Choi N., Noh Y., Park W., Lee J.J., Yook S., Choi J.E. Comparison of endoscopic tympanoplasty to microscopic tympanoplasty. Clin. Exp. Otorhinolaryngol. 2017;10:44–49. - PMC - PubMed