Figure 3: Showing patient’s responses to Scar perception questions (NA-
Not applicable)
In the post-aural group, 29 out of 30 (96%) patients were satisfied
with the scar they have. Concerning scar preference in the post-aural
group, 23 patients (77%) were not bothered about the scar while 7
patients (23%) preferred no scar. No patient (0%) altered hairstyle
due to post aural scar. Scar visibility to others was reported as nil
(0%). Merely 2 patients (7%) reported mild scar discomfort. 5 patients
(17%) noted slight scar numbness which was non-intrusive. 3 patients
indicated a slight change in ear position post-surgery, 2 patients were
uncertain about post-surgery ear re-positioning, and 25 patients noted
no change in ear position. Hearing aids were used by 11 out of 30
patients in the post-aural group; 1 patient reported minor issues
wearing hearing aid and 10 out of 11 patients (91%) reported no issues
with hearing aids. 6 out of 30 patients could move their ears prior to
surgery using auricular muscles; where 3 out of 6 of those patients
(50%) lost that ability post-surgery (See figure 3).
Time off work post-ear surgery : Standard hospital advice suggests
approximately 2 weeks of work leave after ear surgery. For some
patients, work leave was not reported due to memory lapse or either it
was insignificant due to their roles (e.g., housewives, retirees, remote
workers).
In the per-meatal group, 14 of 24 individuals had relevant work leave,
averaging 13.7 days (1 day to 6 weeks). Among them, 5 followed the
advice with 2 full weeks off, 5 returned sooner, and 4 needed more than
2 weeks off.
In the post-aural group, 23 of 30 were relevant, with an average leave
of 13.4 days. 8 returned early, 7 took full 2 weeks, and 8 needed over 2
weeks off.
Comparison of Permeatal vs. Post-aural approaches using the COMBI
questionnaire :
Overall, the statistical analysis indicates that there are variations in
patient perceptions and experiences between the per-meatal (PA) and
post-aural (PM) tympanoplasty techniques across different dimensions
assessed by the Chronic Otitis Media Benefit Inventory (COMBI)
questionnaire. However, these variations appear to be relatively subtle,
and in all cases (12 questions), the differences between the two groups
are not statistically significant.