Abstract

Aim: Myringoplasty is a surgical procedure to repair tympanic membrane perforations. The fascia of the temporalis muscle has been the most common greft used for tympanoplasty during the last 40 years. Tragal perichondrium, periosteum, stromal soft tissue, fat tissue and dura are other greft materials in use for myringoplasty operations. In this study our aim was to investigate the superiority of fat plug myringoplasty in comparison to temporal muscle myringoplasty. Methods: Twenty patients with fat tissue myringoplasty (study group) and 20 with temporal muscle fascia myringoplasty (control group) who had operated in our clinic between June 2000-September 2003 were included in the study. The trial group consisted of patients who had central perforations with a width of 2-4 mm. The fat tissue obtained from the ear lobule was placed like an hourglass af ter the aviviation of the perforation sites. Twenty patients with the similar findings for med the control group and myringoplasty with temporal muscle had been done at these cases. The first group was followed up for 17.8 months and the second for 21.9 months by otoscopy and pure tone audiometry. There were no any perforations at the study group determined by otoscopic examination, but 4 (20%) perforations were observed at the control group, postoperatively. There was no significant statistical audiological difference between the two groups. Results: Myringoplasty with fat tissue is an easy method for closing the small perforations of the dry ears. It is also an outpatient procedure with low morbidity.