BackgroundThis study compares endoscopic and microscopic tympanoplasty for the treatment of chronic otitis media (COM) without cholesteatoma.MethodsThis retrospective study included 153 ears (139 patients) treated surgically (endoscopic or microscopic tympanoplasty) for COM in the absence of cholesteatoma at our hospital between January 2008 and October 2015. The adoption of transcanal endoscopic ear surgery (TEES) or microscopic ear surgery (MES) was divided temporally (before and since 2014). Comparisons between these groups focused on the following: (I) surgical outcomes, including successful tympanic membrane healing and post-operative complications; (II) restoration of hearing; and (III) consumption of medical resources, including the duration of surgery and anesthesia. All patients had a follow-up period of at least 3 months after surgery.ResultsNo statistically significant differences were observed between the two groups regarding surgical outcome or hearing restoration. TEES resulted in the successful healing of 96.2% of ear drums, whereas MES led to successful healing in 92% (p = 0.2826) of cases. The average hearing gains following surgery were 10.27 ± 6.4 and 12.43 ± 7.46 dB in TEES and MES, respectively. The consumption of medical resources in the TEES group was lower than that of the MES group (TEES versus MES) regarding the average operating time (87.8 ± 19.01 min (mins) versus 110.2 ± 17.0 (mins) (p <  0.0001)) and the mean duration of anesthesia ((for general anesthesia patients) (122.1 ± 21.25 mins versus 145.8 ± 16.88 mins) (p ≤  0.0001)).ConclusionsThe results indicate that TEES can achieve surgical outcomes and hearing restoration comparable to those of MES. In addition, TEES appears to be associated with shorter surgical and anesthesia time, which makes it an ideal alternative for the management of COM without cholesteatoma.Trial registrationThis study was approved by the Institutional Review Board of the Cathay General Hospital. (CGHIRB No: CGH-P105012).

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The study aimed to compare the surgical outcomes of septoplasty with inferior turbinectomy between in-patient and out-patient groups. A total of 152 patients who underwent septoplasty with inferior turbinectomy between May 2012 and February 2013 were retrospectively reviewed and divided into in-patient group and out-patient group. The two groups were compared in three aspects: (i) consumption of medical resources, including National Health Insurance payments, patient surcharges, and total surgical expenses; (ii) prognostic indicators; and (iii) post-operative complications. There were no statistically significant differences between the prognostic indicators or post-operative complications in the 2 study groups except for “duration of nasal decongestant use”. The in-patient group had higher medical resource consumption in all categories. In conclusion, septoplasty with inferior turbinectomy can be performed cost-effectively as an out-patient procedure with satisfactory quality and adequate safety.

With its excellent capabilities in hemostasis, great intra-nasal maneuverability, and flexible operation modes, KTP laser is an ideal alternative to manage recurrent ethmoid polyposis for selected cases.