Effect of Nasopharyngeal Irrigation on Early Eustachian Tube Functions in Patients Undergoing Adenoidectomy: A Clinical Prospective Study

Abstract

Objective:The hypertrophic adenoid tissue can cause to eustachian tube dysfunction by mechanical or inflammatory effect both of which block the nasopharyngeal ostium of the eustachian tube. Adenoidectomy, with or without tonsillectomy, is the most common surgical procedure in children. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether nasopharyngeal irrigation for hemorrhage control in adenoidectomy patients has an effect on eustachian tube functions.Method:Patients who underwent adenoidectomy for adenoid hypertrophy evaluated on both the preoperatively and on the postoperative first day by otomicroscopic examination and with tympanometry for eustachian tube functions. Patients were divided into two groups according to nasopharyngeal irrigation type after surgery. Group 1 was the transnasal pressure irrigation group; group 2 was transoral passive irrigation group. Tympanometry was used to measure pressure, volumetric, and compliance values to compare pre- and postoperative values.Results:40 patients were included in the study. There was no significant difference between the age and sex distributions of the patients. Volume and compliance values between the groups were similar before and after the surgery. The mean pressure values of the tympanometry parameters were highly significantly different for the right ear and moderately different for the left ear in group 1; were significantly different for the right ear and highly significantly different for the left ear in group 2. Postoperative tympanometry types were seen as bilateral type C in 7 patients, as right side type C in 4 patients, as bilateral type B in 2 patients, as left side type C in 4 patients in group 1. However, in group 2, right side type B, left side type B and bilateral type C tympanogram were observed in 1 patient, 2 patients and 12 patients, respectively.Conclusion:In this study, we observed that the nasopharyngeal irrigation to control bleeding after adenoidectomy had adverse effect on the eustachian tube functions but larger series of studies are needed to confirm this.

Keywords

• nasopharyngeal irrigation
• adenoidectomy
• tympanometry