Purpose: To evaluate reconstruction of posterior meatal and/or lateral attic walls in cholesteatoma surgery using the autologous bony posterior canal wall and bone pâté during the first stage operation.
Patients and methods: Twenty ears of twenty patients with chronic suppurative otitis media with cholesteatoma. Cases with extensive destruction of posterior canal wall and mastoid cortex, low tegmen, significant anterior or lateral sigmoid sinus, only functioning ear, labyrinthine fistula and previous canal wall down mastoidectomy were excluded. The surgical technique includes cortical mastoidectomy and bone pâté collection,temporary removal of the bony posterosuperior meatal wall(PMW) by cutting the entire PMW as one piece with a microsagittal saw to offer optimal exposure of tympanic cavity,attic and retrotympanum for complete eradication of cholesteatoma and then repositioning of this wall in its anatomical site supported with bone pâté in attic and mastoid.The condition of reconstructed PMW and the status of middle ear were evaluated by computed tomography scan, otoendoscopic examination and staged second–look surgery.
Results:Cholesteatoma in the mastoid, antrum , attic and retrotympanum could be removed with safety in all cases; no serous intraoperative complications occurred, intraoperative difficulties included: damage of posterosuperior canal wall during saw cutting in one case(5%) and mild dural injury during superior cutting in one case(5%) , through follow–up , the new reconstructed canal appeared to be of near normal size, shape and contour, and no dislocation or necrosis of the reconstructed posterior canal wall was noted. The postoperative complications included: wound infection in one case (5%) , tinnitus in two cases (10%) and recurrent cholestearoma in one case(5%).
Conclusion: Our surgical technique which includes reconstruction of posterior meatal and/or lateral attic walls in cholesteatoma surgery using the autologous bony posterosuperior meatal wall after its temporary removal provides optimal surgical exposure during the procedure, restores near normal anatomy of the external auditory canal , has low recurrence rate(5%) and avoids the troubles of open mastoid cavity, making this surgical procedure an attractive alternative to the standard CWU and CWD procedures.