Anteriorly located tympanic membrane perforations can negatively affect surgical success rates. This study aimed to present, using our case series results, endoscopic triple-C (composite chondroperichondrial clip) tympanoplasty as an alternative method in the repair of tympanic membrane anterior quadrant perforations.

This study included patients with a perforation sized greater than 3 mm, who had an anterior quadrant dominant perforation where the anterior portion could not be seen during microscopic examination; all underwent endoscopic triple-C tympanoplasty.

Operating time was 30–79 minutes (mean, 46.6 minutes). The post-operative graft success rate at six months was 92 per cent (23 out of 25). Mean post-operative follow-up duration was 21.5 ± 7.3 months (range, 11–40 months), and no intratympanic cholesteatoma was observed.

Endoscopic triple-C tympanoplasty is a comfortable, minimally invasive alternative method to repair anterior tympanic membrane perforations. The graft success rate and the degree of recovery from hearing loss were in accordance with the literature. However, more reliable results may be obtained in a larger series with longer follow-up times.

During nasal septum surgery, elevation of mucoperichondrium from the anterior nasal septum may be more difficult than from the medial and posterior septum. This study aimed to evaluate any histological structural differences between the anterior and posterior nasal septum cartilage, mucoperichondrium and intervening tissue.

Unilateral mucoperichondrial flap elevation without infiltration was performed, after nasal tip and dorsum decortication, in four patients undergoing open septorhinoplasty. Full-thickness samples, including cartilage and mucoperichondrium, were removed from the anterior and posterior nasal septum and examined under light and electron microscopy.

Light microscopy showed no difference between anterior and posterior septum specimens regarding perichondrial thickness and subperichondrial cell density. Demarcation between cartilage and perichondrium and between perichondrium and lamina propria was more regular in the posterior versus the anterior septum. Electron microscopy showed no difference in chondroblast activity at the two sites.

The observed tissue demarcation irregularities may explain the greater reported difficulty in elevating anterior versus posterior nasal septum mucoperichondrium. Immunohistochemical examination would further elucidate these interstructural connections.

To compare the efficacy and safety of radiofrequency and monopolar electrocautery tonsillectomy, regarding operation duration and tonsillectomy morbidity, including post-operative pain and haemorrhage and tonsillar fossa healing, in patients with recurrent chronic tonsillitis.

A prospective, randomised, double-blind, controlled clinical study.

Fifty patients aged over 10 years who required tonsillectomy were randomly assigned to have one tonsil removed by radiofrequency and the other by monopolar electrocautery. Operation duration, post-operative haemorrhage, post-operative pain and tonsillar fossa wound healing were compared.

The mean ± standard deviation of the operation duration required for the radiofrequency method was significantly longer than that for monopolar electrocautery: 8.1 ± 1.6 minutes vs 7.3 ± 1.5 minutes, respectively (p = 0.034). Post-operative haemorrhage was observed in only three patients (13.6 per cent). Inter-group analysis showed no significant differences in post-operative pain scores for the radiofrequency vs monopolar electrocautery methods (3.7 ± 1.6 vs 3.3 ± 1.4, respectively; p < 0.126). Inter-group analysis showed that tonsillar fossa wound healing scores evaluated on the fifth, 10th and 14th post-operative days were significantly higher in the radiofrequency group compared with the monopolar electrocautery group (p < 0.001).

The present study results indicated that monopolar electrocautery tonsillectomy was superior to radiofrequency tonsillectomy in terms of post-operative tonsillar fossa wound healing; however, both techniques were comparable in terms of post-operative pain.