Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Chronic otitis media (COM) is characterized by chronic, intermittent, or persistent discharge through a perforated tympanic membrane. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the postoperative audiological outcomes in middle-aged patients compared to younger patients who underwent tympanoplasty with mastoidectomy via post-auricular approach for the treatment of COM. METHODS: This prospective interventional study included patients admitted in wards from August 2017 to January 2019 at the Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College and Hospital, Aligarh, India. A total of 70 patients diagnosed with COM were enrolled and divided into two groups. Group A (middle-aged COM group) included patients 41 to 60 years of age and Group B (younger COM group) consisted of patients 21 to 40 years of age. Patients were followed up for a period of approximately six to nine months to assess the audiological status evaluated at three, six, and nine months after surgery. RESULTS: It was found that after three, six, and nine months post-surgery, the difference in the mean audiological gain was not statistically significant, with p-values at 0.3034, 0.3271, and 0.2923, respectively. The audiological gain demonstrated a slight decrease over time in both groups. CONCLUSION: Audiological improvement, measured as the mean audiological gain, demonstrated a slight decrease over time in both groups. However, there was no significant difference in the improvement of the air-bone gap between middle-aged and younger patients.