Intact canal wall tympanoplasty with mastoidectomy for cholesteatoma: long-term follow-up.

One hundred four ears operated for cholesteatoma using the intact wall technique were studied in 1981. In the 1981 study, there was a 7% recurrence rate in adults and a 25% recurrence rate in children after a 5-year follow-up. Recognizing that chronic otitis media is often not controlled by surgery, long-term follow-up is necessary to evaluate a particular operative approach to control the disease and restore function. The purpose of this study is to reexamine the series of patients studied in 1981 and evaluate the status of the ear, as well as long-term functional results.