Objectives:
Microscopic ear surgery (MES) is a well-developed traditional surgical
procedure for treating middle ear disease. However, the microscope
provides only a straight-line view through the ear canal, and blind
spots and hidden recesses can easily be missed using this transcanal
approach. This problem is especially common in the management of
cholesteatomas and can increase the risk of a residual cholesteatoma due
to remnants of the matrix in the ear [1]. An otologist often must
adopt the retroauricular transmastoid approach to overcome the limited
surgical view of the microscope, which inevitably leaves an obvious
surgical wound behind the ear.
Recently, transcanal endoscopic ear surgery (TEES) has been proven to be
an effective alternative to traditional MES for treating middle ear
disease in adults due to its wider and more flexible surgical view,
better mastoid function preservation, smaller surgical wound, shorter
surgical time, and shorter hospital stay [1-5]. However, the
feasibility of TEES in pediatric patients is still debatable because
children’s external auditory canals (EACs) are narrower, shorter, and
curvier than those of adults [1]. In this study, the surgical
outcomes and surgical time (duration of surgery) were compared between
adult and pediatric patients who underwent TEES, and we also discussed
the feasibility of TEES in children.