POSTOPERATIVE CHOLESTEATOMA IN COMBINED APPROACH TYMPANOPLASTY 15 YEAR REPORT ON TYMPANOPLASTY .1.

The degree of reliance which could be placed on some current tympanoplasty techniques was investigated. The evidence was derived from a personal series of over 2700 operations. The main categories were 505 myringoplasties, 810 transcanal tympanoplasties (TCT), 682 combined approach tympanoplasties (CAT) and 214 mastoid obliteration (MO) operations in which an old mastoidectomy cavity was grafted with a soft tissue plug combined with reconstruction of the middle ear. In Part I the results of CAT in cholesteatomatous ears were evaluated to establish as far as is possible the ability of this operation to cure cholesteatoma.