Malin Berglund: Myringoplasty improves quality of life for most patients
A perforated eardrum can lead to hearing loss and recurrent ear infections. New research shows that 9 out of 10 eardrums heal after myringoplasty. Most patients experience improved hearing but achieving this is more challenging than ensuring a healed eardrum. Some patients may even experience worsened hearing, regardless of the surgical method used.
MALIN BERGLUND
Dissertation defense: 25 April 2025 (click for details)
Doctoral thesis: Myringoplasty. Studies on surgical and patient-related outcomes
Research area: Otorhinolaryngology
Sahlgrenska Academy, The Institute of Clinical Sciences
A chronic perforation of the eardrum can lead to recurring ear infections and hearing impairment. The perforated eardrum can result from infections, trauma, or previous surgeries. Myringoplasty is the surgical procedure used to repair the eardrum, and approximately 800 patients undergo this operation in Sweden each year.
"My research has focused on evaluating the outcomes of myringoplasty in Sweden. I have done this by analyzing data from The Swedish Quality Register for Ear surgery (SwedEar) and conducting a survey study that examines patients' health-related quality of life before and after surgery," says Malin Berglund, ENT specialist at NU Hospital in Trollhättan and Uddevalla, and a doctoral student at the Institute of Clinical Sciences.
The study included patients with a nearly equal gender distribution and an average age of 29 years, with one-third of the participants being children under the age of 15.
Understanding the prognosis helps patients make informed decisions
Studying data from national quality registers offers a unique opportunity to examine a country’s entire patient population, covering a larger number of procedures than any previous studies. This allows for the detection of even small differences in surgical outcomes. Thanks to this approach, Berglund was able to analyze a significantly larger dataset on myringoplasty than earlier research has provided. Half of the patients included in the study had hearing impairment before the surgery.
"We found that the eardrum healing rate is high, at 88.5%. Hearing improved for most patients, and in 61% of those who had hearing impairment before surgery, hearing improved by more than 10 dB. The proportion of children with improved hearing was slightly higher. However, about 3% of patients experienced worsened hearing post-surgery, and approximately 10% reported side effects such as tinnitus and taste disturbances. This occurs because the taste nerve runs underneath the eardrum and may be affected during surgery."
The goal is to provide both doctors and patients with better knowledge about the benefits and risks of the procedure
Survey responses on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) indicated that a patient's quality of life was more strongly influenced by their hearing outcome rather than just the healing of the eardrum.
"Knowing the prognosis before surgery proved to be crucial information for both doctors and patients. Patients, especially those with good hearing before the procedure, should be informed so they can make well-informed decisions and have realistic expectations about the outcome."
Has your clinical practice been affected by this research?
"Yes, absolutely. It has been rewarding to learn more about the consequences of the ear surgeries I perform daily. I now feel more equipped to provide accurate information to my patients about what they can expect from the procedure."
Text: Susanne Lj Westergren