Soft-wall reconstruction for cholesteatoma surgery: reappraisal.

OBJECTIVE: To reevaluate the validity of the soft-wall reconstruction method of the posterior meatal wall in surgeries for cholesteatomas.

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective case review.

PATIENTS: Subjects consisted of 52 patients (54 ears) with fresh cholesteatoma (excluding residual or recurrent cholesteatomas) who were operated by the soft-wall reconstruction method in our clinic and observed for more than 2 years after surgery, and 29 patients (29 ears) who were operated by canal-wall-down and open method.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Postoperative period required for complete epithelization (dry ear), hearing, and incidence of the residual and recurrent cholesteatomas were compared with those operated by canal-wall-down and open method. The postoperative conditions of the soft posterior meatal wall was also investigated.

RESULTS: Postoperative period to be a dry ear was significantly shorter in the soft-wall reconstruction group than in the canal-wall-down and open group (Student's t-test, t = 2.99, p < 0.01). There was no significant difference in the postoperative hearing or incidence of residual and recurrent cholesteatomas between the two groups.

CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that the soft-wall reconstruction method seems more versatile than the canal-wall-down and open method for cholesteatoma surgery.