Clinical Analysis of Repeat Balloon Eustachian Tube Dilatation

Abstract

Background and Objectives Obstructive Eustachian tube dysfunction (OETD) is a complex condition in which middle ear ventilation control is impaired. OETD is often not improved by medication nor by nasal washing or nasal spray. On the other hand, balloon Eustachian tube dilatation (BETD) is an effective surgery in OETD although repeating BETD is controversial as it involves additional procedure such as ventilation tube, middle ear steroid irrigation, and trans-tympanic Eustachian tube probing in some cases. This study aims to analyze the clinical differences between patients who received single BETD and repeat BETD, and to evaluate the efficacy of repeat BETD.Subjects and Method For the study, 110 single groups, and 16 repeat groups were selected from patients who underwent BETD from Nov 2019 to Aug 2022. Age, gender, underlying diseases, history of rhinitis and smoking, and Eustachian Tube Dysfunction Questionnaire-7 (ETDQ-7) were analyzed for the selected groups.Results There were no significant differences in gender, underlying disease, or history of rhinitis between the two groups. However, age was significantly younger in the repeat group (45.91 vs. 33.38, <i>p</i>=0.006), while smoking (5.64 vs. 1.66, <i>p</i>=0.01) was significantly higher in the single group. The rate of improvement in the ETDQ-7 was 81.3% in the single group and 69.2% in both initial and repeated surgeries in the repeat group. The complete remission rate was 60% in the single group, and 38.5% in both initial and repeated surgeries of the repeat group.Conclusion For patients who are unsatisfied with the first surgery, it is meaningful enough to recommend repeat BETD, for which additional procedures are performed simultaneously.