Intraoperative findings in revision chronic otitis media surgery.

In this study, we reviewed the surgical findings in a series of revision tympanomastoidectomy to determine the most common causes of failure in chronic otitis media surgery. The intraoperative findings at revision mastoidectomy with tympanoplasty of 116 patients were analyzed. The most common sites of pathologic tissue at revision surgery (with cholesteatoma and/ or granulation tissue) were unexenterated cells of the sinodural angle. The most common mechanical cause of retention of debris in canal wall down procedures was facial ridge.