Cemented Titanium Ventilation Tube in the Chinchilla

ProblemThe use of long-term ventilation tubes in patients with chronic eustachian tube dysfunction is an acceptable form of initial surgical treatment. Despite improvements in composition and design, early extrusion, occlusion, and need for repeated procedures continue to be frequent problems encountered in the course of treatment. The purpose of this study was to develop a novel technique for establishing permanent middle ear ventilation. The study was conducted following the refinement of surgical techniques and long-term follow-up in a pilot group of animals.MethodsHeat cautery myringotomy was used to expose the middle ear space in both ears of 15 chinchillas. A titanium ventilation tube was fixed to the medial wall of the hypotympanum in each ear using OtoMimix hydroxyapatite bone cement. At four months, both ears in 12 animals were re-explored and the integrity of the cemented tube was assessed clinically. One animal was euthanized and the temporal bones obtained for histopathologic analysis.ResultsA...