Introduction: Results of fat graft myringoplasty are often reported with only short-term follow-up. Audiological results are less commonly reported, as well as long-term follow-up results.
Materials and methods: One hundred consecutive patients scheduled for fat graft myringoplasty were included in a prospective cohort study. Clinical and audiological outcomes were assessed at six weeks and one year postoperatively.
Results: Perforation sizes ranged from 0.5 to 4 mm. The six-week follow-up showed a total perforation closure rate of 72.9% with a statistically significant (p = .03) higher rate for the pediatric age group (83.0%). 64.4% of all patients were healed at one-year follow-up. Statistical analyses for background factors did not reveal any significant difference in healing rates with regard to patient sex or location or cause of the perforation. The mean preoperative air-conduction (AC) threshold was 25 dB with an air-bone gap of 12 dB. At the one-year follow-up the mean air conduction threshold for healed ears was improved to 16.6 dB, still 54.2% of them had a type B tympanogram.
Conclusions: Children had a higher perforation closure rate at six-week follow-up than adult patients. Recurrent tympanic membrane perforations were common after initially successful fat graft myringoplasties. Long-term hearing was improved after successful fat graft myringoplasty, resulting in a mean AC threshold of 16.6 dB.
Keywords: Tympanic membrane perforation; audiometry; fat graft myringoplasty; healing result; pediatric patients; tympanometry.