CONCLUSION

Swing-door overlay tympanoplasty showed good surgical outcomes in terms of graft uptake rate regardless of gelfoam packing. However, our prospective randomized controlled study showed earlier hearing improvement and faster healing process in NGPG, thereby indicating that the gelfoam in the middle ear may interfere with the healing process of neodrum and middle ear cavity. Consequently, it is proposed that surgical technique without AGS during middle ear surgery should be considered based on the advantages of the faster healing process and better hearing results.