Significance of the middle ear risk index in predicting tympanoplasty success in the elderly

Abstract

Purpose: To evaluate the relationship between middle ear risk index (MERI) score and success of tympanoplasty in elderly (≥ 60 years) compared with young patients (18-59 years) and to investigate the prognostic factors affecting the success of tympanoplasty.

Methods: Patients were subdivided into three subgroups according to the MERI score as follows: mild (0-3), moderate (4-6), and severe (≥ 7). Ages, perforation sides and location, preoperative and postoperative audiological results, and the graft success of 29 patients aged over 60 years were compared with those of 52 patients aged between 18 and 59 years.

Results: Preoperative and postoperative air conduction, preoperative and postoperative bone conduction, and preoperative and postoperative air-bone gap (ABG) were higher in the older group compared with the younger group (p < 0.05). The hearing gain in the younger group was 12.63 (6.43), and in the older group was 12.66 (7.85), while did not differ significantly between groups (p = 0.689). Results demonstrated that cases with low/moderate score of MERI had a higher graft success rate compared with patients with a high score of MERI (Φ = 0.391; p < 0.001) as well as, patients with low/moderate score of MERI had the lower need for mastoidectomy compared with patients with a high score of MERI (Φ = 0.385; p = 0.001).

Conclusion: Low/medium MERI scores were the variables that provided realistic expectations and increased the success of tympanoplasty more precisely before surgery. The surgeon will also be able to design an operation strategy as a case study for elderly patients by doing so.

Keywords: Elderly; Hearing; Middle ear risk index; Tympanoplasty.