Is there any predictor for tinnitus outcome in different types of otologic surgery?

Our objective was to determine the effect of different types of otologic surgeries on tinnitus symptoms. Our study consisted of 63 patients who were operated between January and June 2011. Variables such as age, sex, presence of systemic diseases, location and size of the perforation, duration of dry period, type of otological surgery, peroperative presence of cholesteatoma, timpanosclerotic plaques and ossicular chain discontinuity were evaluated. Audiologic evaluation by pure tone audiometry and assessment of THI scores were conducted before surgery and 12 weeks after surgery. There was a very significant difference between preoperative and postoperative mean THI scores (p < 0.01). There was no significant effect of presence of ossicular discontinuity, cholesteatoma, tympanosclerotic plaques, type of surgery or duration of symptoms on the difference of preoperative and postoperative THI scores (p > 0.05). There was a significant positive relationship between audiological gain and THI scores (r = 0.355, p < 0.01). In our study, we investigated the relationship between many types of otological surgeries including some preoperative and peroperative pathological findings and tinnitus. As a result, we found that postoperative audiologic gain is an important factor determining outcome of tinnitus in these types of otological surgeries.