Clinical outcomes of revision radical mastoidectomy surgeries to dry ears: A retrospective study

This study retrospectively investigated the reasons for failure to dry the ear after primary radical mastoidectomy for chronic otitis media. In this retrospective study, we analyzed the main causes of dry ear failure in 43 patients (46 ears) who underwent radical mastoidectomy. We found that inadequate exposure of the mastoid cavity, incomplete removal of pathological tissues, and poor drainage of the surgical cavity were the main reasons for failure of radical mastoidectomy. Lesions in the tympanic ostium of the eustachian tube and incorrect selection of surgical techniques could also cause dry ear failure. Revision surgery based on preoperative temporal bone computed tomography and intraoperative surgical findings could achieve dry ear in 100% of cases and no complications were observed. In patients who underwent tympanoplasty, there was a significant postoperative decrease in the decibel hearing level for the air conduction threshold and air–bone gap (P < .05). Based on the reasons for failure, the corresponding treatment was undertaken to achieve dry ears during revision surgery.