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Balloon dilatation of the Eustachian tube in adult patients with chronic dilatory tube dysfunction: a retrospective cohort study

  • Otology
  • Published:
European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Objectives

The aim of this study is to assess the subjective and objective short-term results and safety of transnasal balloon dilatation of the Eustachian tube (BET) in adult patients with chronic dilatory Eustachian tube dysfunction (ETD).

Design

Retrospective cohort study. Data collection was performed preoperatively, 1 and 3 months after BET.

Setting

Tertiary referral hospital.

Participants

A cohort of 42 consecutive patients (66 ears).

Main outcome measures

ETDQ-7 score, bone conduction threshold, air-bone gap, the ability to perform Valsalva’s and/or Toynbee’s manoeuvre, tympanic membrane and middle ear conditions were collected pre- and postoperatively. Subjective satisfaction and complications were collected postoperatively.

Results

The ETDQ-7 score improved significantly from 4.28 to 3.09 1 month postoperatively and from 4.10 to 2.96 3 months postoperatively. Bone conduction thresholds did not differ significantly postoperatively. A significant improvement of air-bone gap was found postoperatively. The tympanic membrane and middle ear condition showed improvement in 62%. Subjective satisfaction 1 and 3 months postoperatively was around 43 and 48%. A small number of minor (self-limiting) complications did occur.

Conclusions

BET has shown to be a safe intervention, which may have a positive effect on objective and subjective indicators for chronic dilatory ETD in adult patients. We observed subjective positive effects in less than half of the patients. For certain indications, there was a measurable positive effect on the findings of the eardrum and ETDQ-7, whereas in other patients it seemed not to have any effect at all. Careful patient selection may improve this success rate. Randomized controlled trials with a prolonged follow-up are required to assess the value of BET in comparison to grommets.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Medical Sciences, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    M. C. Satmis

  2. Department of Otorhinolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, Westfriesgasthuis Hospital, Hoorn, The Netherlands

    M. van der Torn

Authors
  1. M. C. Satmis
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  2. M. van der Torn
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Correspondence to M. van der Torn.

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Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they do not have a conflict of interest and there was no financial support.

Ethical statement

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Informed consent

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Satmis, M.C., van der Torn, M. Balloon dilatation of the Eustachian tube in adult patients with chronic dilatory tube dysfunction: a retrospective cohort study. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol 275, 395–400 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00405-017-4857-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00405-017-4857-4

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