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
. 2021 Oct 1;42(9):e1273-e1278.
doi: 10.1097/MAO.0000000000003254.

Transtympanic Tripod-shaped Angiocatheter Insertion for Patients With Intractable Patulous Eustachian Tube

Jung Mee Park  1   2 , Jae Sang Han  2 , So Young Park  3 , Shi Nae Park  2
Affiliations

Transtympanic Tripod-shaped Angiocatheter Insertion for Patients With Intractable Patulous Eustachian Tube

Jung Mee Park et al. Otol Neurotol. .

Abstract

Objective: Despite the efforts to treat patients with patulous Eustachian tube (PET), intractable symptoms of PET may require surgical intervention. In this study, we introduce our surgical technique of "transtympanic tripod-shaped angiocatheter" (TTA) insertion and evaluate the safety and efficacy of the procedure in patients with intractable PET.

Study design: Retrospective chart review.

Setting: Tertiary referral center.

Patients: Thirty-two cases (26 patients) diagnosed with intractable PET between the years 2011 and 2019 were included in this study.

Intervention: All cases were surgically treated with TTA insertion.

Main outcome measures: The clinical characteristics, surgical results, complication rates, and the level of satisfaction by questionnaires were analyzed for evaluation.

Results: The mean age of enrolled patients was 40.9 ± 19.5 years, with slight male gender predominance (59.4% vs. 40.6%). Both ears were operated in six patients, simultaneously in three. All patients successfully received the insertion of TTA, with no immediate complication. Eleven cases were re-inserted after the first insertion due to the recurrence of symptoms or spontaneous extrusion of TTA. No major complications were observed during the follow-up period of 1 to 115 months (mean 37.7 mo). The average Visual Analogue Scale score of PET symptoms was significantly decreased (p < 0.05), along with 92% of patients with relief from autophony symptoms.

Conclusions: TTA insertion is a relatively simple procedure that can be performed in a short period under local anesthesia. Surgical intervention of TTA insertion for patients with intractable PET symptoms seems promising with a high success rate.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors disclose no conflicts of interest.

References

    1. McCoul ED, Lucente FE, Anand VK. Evolution of Eustachian tube surgery. Laryngoscope 2011; 121:661–666.
    1. Poe DS. Diagnosis and management of the patulous eustachian tube. Otol Neurotol: official publication of the American Otological Society, American Neurotology Society [and] European Academy of Otology and Neurotology 2007; 28:668–677.
    1. Ward BK, Ashry Y, Poe DS. Patulous eustachian tube dysfunction: patient demographics and comorbidities. Otol Neurotol: official publication of the American Otological Society, American Neurotology Society [and] European Academy of Otology and Neurotology 2017; 38:1362–1369.
    1. Hussein AA, Adams AS, Turner JH. Surgical management of Patulous Eustachian tube: a systematic review. Laryngoscope 2015; 125:2193–2198.
    1. Luu K, Remillard A, Fandino M, Saxby A, Westerberg B. Treatment effectiveness for symptoms of patulous eustachian tube: a systematic review. Otol Neurotol: official publication of the American Otological Society, American Neurotology Society [and] European Academy of Otology and Neurotology 2015; 36:1593–1600.