Medium-term assessment of Eustachian tube function after balloon dilation.
There is at present no consensus on the treatment of obstructive Eustachian tube dysfunction. In case of failure of well-conducted drug and pressure therapy, some authors recommend balloon dilation; the present study aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of Eustachian tube balloon dilation.


MATERIALS AND METHODS
A single-center retrospective study assessed clinical and tubomanometric results of Eustachian tube balloon dilation, complications and satisfaction in a consecutive series managed between June 2012 and February 2015. Indications were based on clinical and paraclinical signs of obstructive tube dysfunction despite well-conducted medical treatment.


RESULTS
Forty-five procedures were performed in 38 patients. Improvement in clinical symptoms was assessed as 88%, 80% and 80% at respectively 2 months, 6 months, and>1 year. Improved function on tubomanometry was observed in 81% of cases. The procedure was well tolerated, with a minor complications rate of only 4%.


CONCLUSIONS
The present findings for efficacy, tolerance and safety were comparable to those in the literature, despite first-line failure in all patients. Eustachian tube function normalized in about one-third of cases. Despite these encouraging results, true efficacy remains to be confirmed in prospective studies with higher levels of evidence.
['Schmitt|D|D|', 'Akkari|M|M|', 'Mura|T|T|', 'Mondain|M|M|', 'Uziel|A|A|', 'Venail|F|F|']
D000328:Adult D002404:Catheterization D004106:Dilatation D004427:Ear Diseases D005064:Eustachian Tube D005260:Female D005500:Follow-Up Studies D006320:Hearing Tests D006801:Humans D008297:Male D008875:Middle Aged D017060:Patient Satisfaction D012189:Retrospective Studies D016896:Treatment Outcome
Eustachian tube Balloon dilation Tube dysfunction Tubomanometry