Cholesteatoma surgery: canal wall down procedures.

We prefer the intact canal wall technique for tympanoplasty with mastoidectomy, but use a canal wall down procedure in up to 25% of cases. Creating a round cavity with a large meatus is imperative if one is to obtain a trouble-free ear. The five types of canal wall down procedures are defined, as are our indications for using them. Results in 19 only hearing ears and 19 labyrinthine fistula cases are presented, along with 64 tympanoplasty cases.