Does septoplasty affect middle ear pressure and eustachian tube function?

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the effects of septoplasty on middle ear pressure and Eustachian tube function. Materials and Methods: Patients who were suffering from nasal obstruction and underwent septoplasty due to nasal septal deviation and healthy volunteers not suffering from nasal obstruction were involved in the study. Nasal patency was evaluated by rhinomanometry, and middle ear pressure and Eustachian tube function were evaluated by tympanometry. Total nasal resistance (TNR) and tympanometric peak pressure (TPP) values were used for this purpose. If TPP changed more than ±10 daPa with Valsalva and Toynbee maneuvers, the Eustachian tube function of that ear was accepted as good. Rhinomanometry and tympanometry measurements were performed for patients in the preoperative period and in the 1st and 3rd postoperative months. To determine the normative levels of TNR, rhinomanometry was performed in the control group. Results: Twenty-three patients and 30 volunteers were involved in the study. The preoperative TNR values of the patients were remarkably higher than the control group (p<0.001), but they decreased significantly in the 1st and 3rd postoperative months (p<0.001), and they were similar to those of the control group in the 3rd postoperative month (p>0.05). Middle ear pressures and Eustachian tube function did not differ significantly in the 1st and 3rd postoperative months compared to the preoperative period (p>0.05). Conclusion: It was found that septoplasty did not affect middle ear pressure and Eustachian tube function.