Long-term results of atresiaplasty in patients with congenital aural atresia.

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate long-term benefits of atresiaplasty on hearing and the impact of surgery on quality of life (QoL) in congenital aural atresia (CAA) patients.

METHODS

We evaluated the long-term hearing results, the impact of atresiaplasty on QoL, the meatal diameter of the operated ear canal, and the cumulative number of post-operative hospital visits in 14 CAA patients, on average, 12 years (range: 4-17 years) post-operatively.

RESULTS

The mean preoperative pure tone average (PTA) was 61 dB HL. The postoperative short-term PTA was 36 dB HL and the long-term PTA was 51 dB HL. The mean total Glasgow Benefit Inventory (GBI) score was 16 (range: -11-39), showing the positive benefit of atresiaplasty on QoL. The mean postoperative diameter of the auditory meatus was 6 mm. The average number of hospital outpatient visits during the first postoperative year was 10.

CONCLUSION

Surgery for CAA is a demanding operation with variable anatomical and hearing outcomes. Atresiaplasty operations should be centralized to hospitals with large numbers of such patients to ensure sufficient levels of surgical experience. Bone-anchored hearing devices or middle-ear implants should be considered as a first-line option because they offer good hearing predictability.