A Comparative Study of Temporalis Fascia versus Tragal Peri-chondrium as Graft in Repair of Tympanic Membrane Perforation

The perforations of the tympanic membrane may be of traumatic origin or due to chronic suppurative otitis media. If the perforations fail to heal conservatively, they require surgical closure. Autologous graft materials have stood the test of time in repairing tympanic membrane perforations. In our tertiary care institution, we conducted a prospective randomised control trial on 20 subjects to evaluate the comparative efficacy of temporalis fascia and tragal perichondrium as grafting material in underlay tympanoplasty. In this study, surgical success was evaluated in terms of intact drum membrane and minimal complications during the follow-up period. Temporalis fascia achieved a graft uptake of 90% and a satisfactory hearing improvement in 76% of the patients with minimal postoperative complications. Tragal perichondrium achieved a success rate of 80% graft uptake and 75% hearing gain. The rates are comparable with no statistical significance of difference between them.