Tympanoplasty using the interlay technique has rarely been reported in transcanal endoscopic ear surgery, unlike the underlay technique. This is because many surgeons find it challenging to detach the epithelial layer of the tympanic membrane using only one hand. However, the epithelial layer can be easily detached from the inferior part of the tympanic membrane.
We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 51 patients who had undergone tympanoplasty using the interlay technique without ossiculoplasty between 2017 and 2020.
The perforation sites were limited to the anterior, posterior, and anterior–posterior quadrants in 23, 1, and 27 ears, respectively. Perforations were closed in 50 of the 51 ears (98.0%), and the postoperative hearing was good (average air-bone [A-B] gap was 6.8 ± 5.8 dB). The surgical success rate for the repair of tympanic membrane perforation was not significantly different from the MS group (93.3%, P = 0.15).