Use of elastin patch for repair of traumatic tympanic membrane perforation in chinchillas

Abstract Objectives: Complications from tympanic membrane perforations range from no symptoms to hearing loss and vertigo. Though different grafting materials have been advocated for surgical repair, the healing time has remained constant. We propose the use of elastin (Oregon Medical Laser Center, Portland, OR) as a grafting material for the repair of traumatic tympanic membrane perforations. Furthermore, utilizing laser albumin soldering (Oregon Medical Laser Center, Portland, OR) in the repair allows exploration of possible immediate functional integrity. Methods: The protocol used 17 animals (Chinchilla laniger). Three groups were studied: (1) repair with elastin alone, (2) repair with elastin and laser albumin solder and (3) repair with paper patch. Traumatic perforations were made bilaterally in each animal. One side served as the repair group, the other as the control. Tympanograms were used to determine functional integrity immediately following the repair and at the end of 5 weeks. The tympanic membranes were then harvested for histological study. Results: Of all groups (including controls), only 1 animal showed immediate functional integrity (elastin with laser solder). The delayed tympanograms were more varied. The elastin with and without laser soldering groups had identical results (5 of 6), and compared to their respective controls (2 of 6), showed higher incidence of functional integrity. The paper patch group had similar rates (2 of 5) of integrity compared to their controls (3 of 5). Conclusion: Although the results of immediate elastin repair with and without laser albumin soldering were not superior to the matched controls, the delayed results show promise for accelerated healing.