RESULTS
Clinical characteristics
Patients were aged between 10 and 81 years with the mean age of 51.5
years, and there was no statistically significant difference in age
(p =0.480) and sex ratio (p =0.514) between the two groups.
The operation site was on the right in 25 patients (43.9%) and on the
left in 32 patients (56.1%). The right side was more common in GPG,
while the left side was more common in NGPG, thereby demonstrating a
statistically significant difference (p =0.041).
The locations of perforation in the TMalso showed no significant
difference between the two groups(p =0.725) and the mean
preoperative perforation size of TM was 29.5% in GPG and 32.2% in
NGPG(p =0.702). The clinical characteristics of the enrolled
patients of the two groups are presented and compared in Table 1.
Physical Evaluations
There was no difference in the graft success rate between GPG and NGPG,
since all the patients showed successful graft uptake at postoperative 3
month evaluation(Figure 1).During the follow-up period, none of the
patients of this study developed postoperative otorrhea, lateralization
of neodrum, anterior wall blunting, facial palsy, profound hearing loss
or other problems.
However, NGPG showed the statistically significant faster healing
process compared to GPG. The higher neodrum epithelization percent was
observed in NPG during the follow up period, with significant
differences in postoperative 1-month(68.00±16.48% in GPG and
76.30±13.34% in NGPG, p =0.043) and 2-month
evaluation(94.67±6.87% in GPG and 99.26±2.67% in NGPG,p =0.007). Also,neodrum edemascorewas significantly lower in NGPG
at 1-month(1.23±0.91 in GPG 0.74±0.62 in NGPG,p =0.044) and
2-month(0.19±0.40 in GPG and 0.04±0.21 in NGPG,p =0.085)evaluations. Complete epithelization and amd loss of
edema were observed in both groups at the 3-month visit. (Figure 2)
Audiologic Evaluations
A comparison of the preoperative and final hearing measured at
postoperative3 months between GPG and NGPG did not show any differences
(p >0.05). Although there were no statistical
differences, the ABG measured at1-month (24.94±11.38dB in GPG and
20.90±9.99dB in NGPG, p =0.161) and 2-months (22.36±14.37dB in GPG
and 15.80±11.43 in NGPG, p =0.144) after surgery was smaller in
NGPG than in GPG, thereby indicating an earlier hearing recovery in NGPG
compared with GPG (Figure3).