Can Endoscopic Tympanoplasty Be a Good Alternative to Microscopic Tympanoplasty? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Can Endoscopic Tympanoplasty Be a Good Alternative to Microscopic Tympanoplasty? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Clin Exp Otorhinolaryngol. 2019 Jan 25;: Authors: Lee SY, Lee DY, Seo Y, Kim YH Abstract Although efficacies and proportions of tympanoplasty performed via endoscopic ear surgery (EES) have gradually introduced, it remains unclear whether total EES is a good alternative to microscopic ear surgery (MES). Herein, we aimed to compare therapeutic effects of EES and MES in patients receiving tympanoplasty or myringoplasty. A search of MEDLINE, PubMed, and Embase databases was conducted to compare the efficacies of EES and MES. Two investigators independently reviewed all studies and extracted data with a standardized form. We assessed risk of bias and calculated pooled odds ratio (OR) estimates with a 95% confidence interval (CI). Thirteen studies (607 EES patients and 678 MES patients) met inclusion criteria for quantitative meta-analysis. In pooled analysis, those who undergo EES have 0.99 times the OR of graft success compared to those with MES (95% CI, 0.84 to 1.16; P=0.894). In qualitative analysis, comparable hearing improvement was observed between the two groups, despite inconsistent audiometric evaluation. The air-bone gaps (ABGs) improved 2.02 dB less in EES than in MES (mean difference of improvements of ABGs, 2.02; 95% CI, -3.84 to -0.20; P=0.029); however, substantial heterogeneity and publication bias limit...
Source: Clinical and Experimental Otorhinolaryngology - Category: ENT & OMF Tags: Clin Exp Otorhinolaryngol Source Type: research