Learning Objectives: To evaluate whether dry or wet temporalis fascia graft influences the outcome of tympanoplasty. Recent review of literature cites shrinkage of temporalis fascia graft as an important cause for failed tympanoplasty i.e. a dry graft rehydrates in the physiological environment of middle ear and shrinks. This might lead to alteration in the anatomical position of the placed graft, thereby surgical failure.

Objective: To evaluate the success rate of tympanoplasty type I by underlay technique using dry and wet temporalis fascia graft and to determine the role of fibroblasts.

Study design: A prospective, randomized study with control. Hundred adult cases of either sex of Chronic Suppurative Otitis Media-mucosal disease were divided into two groups of 50 each - Group A [underwent dry graft tympanoplasty] & Group B [underwent wet graft tympanoplasty]. Fibroblast count was also calculated in dry and wet grafts.

Results: An overall surgical success rate of 82% and 90% was observed in Group A and Group B respectively which was not found to be statistically significant. Further, a statistically significant high fibroblast count was observed in wet grafts, but it did not correlate with surgical success.

Conclusions: The nature of the graft, whether dry or wet does not influence the outcome of tympanoplasty type I.