Objectives/hypothesis: The objective of this study is to demonstrate that balloon eustachian tuboplasty (BET) is safe and had limited complications in the pediatric patient population.
Study design: Retrospective chart review.
Methods: This study analyzed the medical records of 43 consecutive encounters of patients under the age of 18 years old who underwent attempted BET. Charts of patients' postoperative appointments and appointments 30 days following the procedure were reviewed. Any complications that were reported by the surgeons' operative report or documented postoperatively were stratified by the Classification of Surgical Complications as outlined by the American College of Surgeons. Additional data points that were analyzed included concomitant surgical procedures, estimated blood loss, and demographic information.
Results: A cohort of 43 pediatric patient encounters were investigated. There was a total of two complications from BET (4.7%) and one aborted case. The complications included epistaxis controlled with oxymetazoline and pressure, and vertigo that was later attributed to vestibular migraines. One case was aborted due to inadequate exposure. The average age of patients evaluated was 12.4 ± 3.2 years old with a range of 6.6 to 17.7 years old.
Conclusions: In this retrospective cohort, BET was demonstrated to be a relatively safe intervention with an overall complication rate of 4.7% in patients as young as 6.6 years old with recurrent or chronic eustachian tube dysfunction and/or related issues.
Level of evidence: 4 Laryngoscope, 131:1657-1662, 2021.
Keywords: Eustachian tube; balloon dilation; balloon eustachian tuboplasty; children; pediatric.
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