Modified intact canal wall mastoidectomy - long term results in hearing and healing.

Introduction: The classic intact canal wall (ICW) mastoidectomy with tympanoplasty (combined approach tympanoplasty) [1, 2] has anatomic constraints for clearance of disease from the anterior attic and sinus tympani leading to high recidivism. Farrior [3, 4] described the modification of this technique and senior author (AM) has been using it with further modifications since 1973.

Materials And Methods: We report our long-term experience in hearing and healing in 126 cases with special reference to the age (pediatric versus adults), ossicle status (presence or absence of stapes suprastructure) and type of cholesteatoma (Attic versus posterior-superior versus secondary acquired cholesteatoma).

Results: All the patients had unsafe CSOM and underwent Modified ICW mastoidectomy with primary ossiculoplasty except five where the procedure was staged.

Conclusion: Modified ICW technique is a one-stage procedure with the lowest recidivism rate when compared to various other ICW techniques. There is no significant difference in relation to age of the patient or type of cholesteatoma if the operative cases are selected judicially.