Comparison of Healing Time following Modified Radical Mastoidectomy with or without Mastoid Cavity Obliteration

Abstract

Background: Modified radical mastoidectomy (MRM) is a type of canal wall down mastoidectomy usually reserved for chronic otitis media
squamous active type of disease which is considered as an unsafe type due to high incidence of complications. Aim: To compare the healing time
after MRM with or without mastoid obliteration in all age groups.Materials and Methods: It was a prospective, longitudinal, comparative,
interventional study on patients (age ≥8 years) diagnosed with chronic otitis media squamous type in active stage. A total of 30 patients
underwent modified radical mastoidectomy (MRM) under general anesthesia in two year period. Study population was randomly divided into two
groups: group A (n=15): MRM with mastoid cavity obliteration using inferiorly based musculofascioperiosteal flap and group B (n=15): MRM
without mastoid cavity obliteration. Healing time (in weeks) and complications were recorded in both groups after surgery i.e. after 10 -14 days, 4-6 weeks, 12 weeks and compared.Results: All the patients had healed cavities postoperatively. However, the average healing period in group A
was 10.67 weeks and in group B 12.47 weeks. Difference in healing time between the two groups was statistically significant ( p value =0.005).Conclusion: The average healing time in MRM with mastoid cavity obliteration is a bit earlier (10.67 weeks) to MRM without mastoid cavity obliteration (12.47 weeks) with statistical significance.