CHEMICAL CAUTERIZATION BY USING TRICHLOROACETIC ACID IN TYMPANIC MEMBRANE PERFORATIONS: OUR EXPERIENCE

OBJECTIVE In developing countries like India, where tertiary medical facility is not available to all people, treatment should be easily feasible. Small and cost effective procedures like Chemical Cauterization may be a good option for restoring the continuity of tympanic membrane in patients with non-healing perforation in the pars tensa. AIM To study the effectiveness of chemical cauterisation using trichloroacetic acid in chronic non-healing small dry perforation. MATERIALS AND METHODS 40 patients with non-healing dry tympanic membrane perforations were included in the study; 30 percentage TCA was used to cauterize the margins of the perforation. The study was conducted in ENT Department of Vinayaka Missions Medical College and Hospital for duration of 1 year from June 2014 to June 2015. RESULTS The success rate of the procedure is 92.5%. CONCLUSION It is a promising office-based technique for closure of chronic small dry tympanic membrane perforations. It is a relatively easy, simple, safe and economical procedure.