Improvement of Tinnitus following Tympanoplasty and Tympanomastoidectomy Surgeries in Patients with Chronic Otitis Media

Background: After otorrhea and hearing loss, Tinnitus is the most common symptom in pa­tients with chronic otitis media (COM). The aim of this study was to evaluate the improvement of tinnitus in COM patients after tympanoplasty and tympanomastoidectomy surgeries. Mate­rials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on COM patients suffering from Tinnitus referred to Baqiyatallah hospital, Tehran, Iran undergoing tympanoplasty or tympano­mastoidectomy surgeries between March 2013 and August 2014. Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) questionnaires were filled before and two months after surgery by each patient, and considered subjects were compared with each other. Audiometry test was taken from each patient before and two months after surgery. Audiometry results as well as Air-Bone gap were measured and evaluated prior and after surgery. Data were analyzed using SPSS software by ANOVA, sample t-test and Chi-square tests. Results: Eventually, 26 male and 24 female patients with a mean age of 38.62±11.88 years were enrolled. Air conduc­tion at all frequencies was 49.99±17.37 before and 36.98±22.06 after surgery (P<0.001). Sever­ity of tinnitus was 62.92±30.54 before and 30.54±20.08 after surgery based on THI (P<0.001). Also, it was 7.46±1.66 before and 3.5±2.06 after surgery based on VAS evaluations (P<0.001). Tinnitus severity reduction was significantly associated with the improvement of hearing loss and decrement of air-Bone gap (P<0.001). Tinnitus symptoms such as loudness, annoyance, impact on life and perception of Tinnitus significantly reduced after surgery. Moreover, Tym­panomastoidectomy was more effective on the improvement of Tinnitus in comparison with Tympanoplasty (P=0.019).Conclusion: It seems that, both tympanomastoidectomy and tympa­noplasty surgeries are effective on the improvement of tinnitus in patients with COM; however, Tympanomastoidectom surgery was shown to be more effective.[GMJ.2016;5(2):63-69]