Surgical treatment of stenosis of the external auditory canal.

Analysis of the outcomes of reconstruction for stenosis of the ear canal in 20 patients revealed that the key step in the procedure after the stenotic meatus and ear canal skin have been removed (in the process accomplishing a wide meatoplasty) is widening the posterior bony canal wall until some mastoid cells are encountered. After the tympanic membrane has been deepithelialized, the bony canal should be lined with two separate pieces of split-thickness skin grafts and protected with Silastic sheeting and packing. Average follow-up of 3 1/3 years revealed that 2 ear canals have restenosed, 2 have partially restenosed, and 18 have healed. Of the 22 ears, 15 have had hearing improved to within 25 dB SRT or better, 5 have moderate hearing improvement, and 2 have no improvement. There were no complications.