Learning Objectives: TEES is safe and effective for treating children with middle ear disease.
Introduction: Recent advances in endoscopy have led to the development of transcanal endoscopic ear surgery (TEES). In the last decade, TEES usage has increased dramatically worldwide as a minimally invasive surgery with excellent middle ear visualisation and optical surgical manipulation. TEES may be suitable for treating children with middle ear disease. In this study, clinical futures and postoperative results in paediatric TEES cases were investigated to understand the feasibility of TEES in children with middle ear disease.
Materials and Methods: Medical records of 28 paediatric patients (age:
Results: f the 16 male and 12 female patients (mean age: 7.3 years; range: 1–17 years), 8 had left ear disease, 19 had right ear disease, and 1 had bilateral congenital cholesteatoma. They included 20 cholesteatoma, 5 ossicular disruptions, 2 chronic otitis media, and 1 perilymphatic fistula. Tympanoplasty types included 18 type I, 3 type III, and 6 type IV. For three cholesteatoma cases, staged-operations were performed. In an ossicular disruption case, re-operation was needed because of remaining air-bone gap. There was no recurrence of cholesteatoma until now. The diameter of narrowest portion of ear canal (anterior-posterior) on the axial computed tomography was 5.6 mm (mean). Postoperative hearing results were acceptable, with no surgical complications.
Conclusions: Our results suggest TEES as a safe, effective treatment for children with middle ear disease, notably, paediatric chronic otitis media without a mastoid lesion, ossicular disruption, or early-stage congenital cholesteatoma.