Incision Type
Another difference between endoscopic and microscopic approaches is the incision type. All but one patient within our microscopic group had endaural or post-aural incision, and this may account for the difference between pain scores. In a previous study, patients undergoing EES reported significantly less scar discomfort, compared to the microscopic ear surgery group, although this group found no difference in overall post-operative pain scores.17 Patients were asked to score pain retrospectively at follow-up 2 weeks post-operatively.17 The influence of incision type on pain is an area which requires further study.