Stenting the Eustachian tube to treat chronic otitis media - a feasibility study in sheep.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND:Untreated chronic otitis media severely impairs quality of life in affected individuals. Local destruction of the middle ear and subsequent loss of hearing are common sequelae, and currently available treatments provide limited relief. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to evaluate the feasibility of the insertion of a coronary stent from the nasopharynx into the Eustachian tube in-vivo in sheep and to make an initial assessment of its positional stability, tolerance by the animal, and possible tissue reactions. METHODS:Bilateral implantation of bare metal cobalt-chrome coronary stents of two sizes was performed endoscopically in three healthy blackface sheep using a nasopharyngeal approach. The postoperative observation period was three months. RESULTS:Stent implantat

SUBMITTER: Pohl F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5935938 | biostudies-literature | 2018 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature