Endoscopic Ear Surgery: Our Experience

Abstract

Endoscopes are presently used as an adjunct to microscopic surgery for better visualization of hidden areas of middle ear or they are used as a primary modality replacing the microscopes. We performed primary endoscopic ear surgery at a tertiary care center to evaluate the scope of endoscopic ear surgeries and to evaluate the anatomical, functional and quality of life outcomes. We evaluated 103 cases of which included patients with chronic otitis media mucosal disease (64), chronic otitis media squamous disease (29), otosclerosis (6), and benign ear tumors (4). In our study, the structural and functional outcomes of endoscopic ear surgeries were comparable to microscopic techniques however it conferred superior patient related outcomes of cosmesis, post-operative pain and early return to daily routine. Thus endoscopic ear surgery is a minimally invasive alternative option to microscopic techniques in the field of otology.

Keywords: Endoscopic ear surgery; Endoscopic glomus tumor excision; Endoscopic intact canal wall mastoidectomy; Endoscopic stapedotomy; Endoscopic tympanoplasty.

Fig. 1

a–d Endoscopic stapedotomy

Fig. 2

a–f Endoscopic intact canal wall mastoidectomy

Fig. 3

a–c Endoscopic glomus tympanicum excision—case 1

Fig. 4

a–c Endoscopic glomus tympanicum excision—case 2