Efficacy of allograft fascia lata in tympanic membrane repair.

We conducted a retrospective study to determine the efficacy of allograft fascia lata in both primary and revision tympanic membrane surgery (myringoplasty). Our patient population included 64 patients-31 men and 33 women, aged 19 to 98 years (mean: 49.5)-who had undergone tympanic membrane surgery with allograft fascia lata. Patients were grouped according to whether they had undergone primary surgery (n = 47) or revision surgery (n = 17). Data were compiled at preoperative and immediate postoperative visits, as well as at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months postoperatively. Residual perforations were defined as those present for less than 6 weeks postoperatively, and recurrent perforations were defined as those that occurred more than 6 weeks postoperatively. A residual perforation was found in only 1 patient (1.6%), a primary surgery patient. Recurrent perforations were found in 8 of the 64 patients (12.5%), including 5 in the primary group (10.6%) and 3 in the revision group (17.6%). We conclude that allograft fascia lata is a comparable alternative to other graft materials for performing myringoplasty.