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Indian Journal of Otolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery logoLink to Indian Journal of Otolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery
. 2010 Jun 19;62(1):6–24. doi: 10.1007/s12070-010-0007-7

Endoscopic transcanal middle ear surgery

Muaaz Tarabichi 1,✉
PMCID: PMC3450149  PMID: 23120674

Abstract

The advantages and limitations of the microscope have defined postauricular access as the surgical intervention of choice for the treatment of diseases of the middle ear. The wide-angle view provided by the endoscope enables transcanal access to the tympanic cavity, and its otherwise difficult-to-reach extensions: The attic, sinus tympani, facial recess, and hypotympanum. These areas are the primary sites of disease and surgical failure to cure. The endoscope also allows an all encompassing view of the three main elements in tympanoplasty surgery: The ear canal, tympanic membrane, and the tympanic ring. This report is a summary of the author’s two 17 years of experience with the use of transcanal operative endoscopy as the primary approach to the management of middle ear disease.

Keywords: Endoscope, Ear surgery, Cholesteatoma, Tympanoplasty

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