Acute and chronic ear disease continues to be one of the leading diseases of childhood. Understanding eustachian tube function and management remains one of the most important aspects in controlling inflammatory ear disease. Chronic ear disease requires elaborate surgical interventions designed to bypass eustachian tube dysfunction and/or poor mastoid aeration, since surgical management of the eustachian tube has been elusive. Our understanding of the ear and hearing continues to expand at record pace, as auditory neuroscientists discover the fundamental molecular structure and function of the auditory system. The cochlear implant has revolutionized the treatment of deafness. In contrast, the complexity of eustachian tube pathophysiology is only just beginning to be appreciated. This book provides a detailed analysis of contemporary knowledge on the morphology, physiology, and gas exchange function of the eustachian tube, middle ear, and mastoid. Newer diagnostic tests, such as sono tubometry, tubomanometry, and endoscopic video-analysis, are also described. Finally, a selection of innovative surgical management strategies for eustachian tube dysfunction is presented. The clinical impact of these diagnostic tools and surgical management options still requires the test of time, as well as investigation by others. This text provides the trainee, clinician, and researcher with the opportunity to acquire state-of-the-art information in a single volume. I am certain that this is just the beginning of our knowledge of ways in which to improve the management of one of the long-standing chronic conditions that result in hearing loss and more serious sequellae.

This book aims to provide otolaryngology residents, otology and neurotology fellows, teachers, and young practitioners with comprehensive, up-to-date information on middle ear anatomy that fully meets their needs. It will enable those undergoing surgical training to hone their surgical skills and will assist in ensuring that patients receive appropriate management. The anatomy of the middle ear is explained in easy-to-understand descriptions and exquisitely depicted in more than 100 color photos and numerous helpful color diagrams. Key features of the book are the correlation of clinical situations to the anatomical basis of disease, the simplified explanation of embryology to provide a better understanding of developmental anomalies, and the inclusion of carefully selected CT scans that will assist in the reading of normal anatomy and the identification of pathological features. ​

The development of new technology in hearing aid devices as well as imaging techniques has improved the possibilities of meeting the patient's individual needs. This book, in which experts from around the world have contributed, comprehensively covers advances in all aspects of hearing implantation otology. Chapters review the evidence behind the current applications of the wide range of hearing implants available for different types of hearing loss. Further articles discuss the extended applications of implantation otology and let us have a glimpse into the future of hearing rehabilitation. New imaging techniques for the middle and inner ear are explored as well as innovations to improve Eustachian tube function. The publication is essential reading to otolaryngologists, audiologists and hearing rehabilitation professionals. It provides comprehensive coverage of state of the art hearing rehabilitation across the spectrum of hearing loss: as such it is a perfect tool for those who wish to develop their knowledge within the field.

This issue of Otolaryngologic Clinics of North America, devoted to Endoscopic Ear and Eustachian Tube Surgery, is guest edited by Drs. João Flávio Nogueira and Muaaz Tarabichi. Articles in this outstanding issue include: Anatomy of the Eustachian Tube; Physiology of the Eustachian Tube; Eustachian Tube Function and Testing; Radiology of the Eustachian Tube; Middle Ear and Eustachian Tube Dysfunction; Endoscopic Eustachian Tube Transnasal Surgery; Endoscopic Anatomy of the Protympanic Space; Outcomes Following Endoscopic Ear Surgery; Endoscopic Management of Superior Semicircular Canal Dehiscence; Endoscopic Management of Tumors in Middle Ear and Mastoid; Outcomes Following Endoscopic Stapes Surgery; Transtympanic Balloon Dilation of the Eustachian Tube; Selective Dysventilation Syndrome; Restoring Petrous Bone Ventilation; and Endoscopic Techniques in Tympanoplasty.

The history of surgery for chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM) is littered with stories of techniques and materials that were tried with enthusiasm but without a reasonable expectation of long-term success. The early papers on tympanoplasty, and sadly even some still today, contain numerous short-term follow-up reports of new procedures that looked as if they might revolutionise ear surgery. By the nature of the problem, the longer-term results often proved to be poor and by the nature of humans, the original author didn't report this. As a result, perhaps hundreds of patients elsewhere were subjected to surgery that was already doomed to failure even before the operations started. The journals of the sixties and seventies contain many reports which most would rather forget. I began my otologic career in the early sixties, at the height of the otologic renaissance, and so often we felt that with just one more push conductive deafness would become a thing of the past. Now we know that the problems of middle ear reconstruction are multifactorial and that we are not simply looking for one single step to restore and maintain hearing and stability. What we need, is a greater understanding of why some procedures succeed and others fail. Happily in this book, Professor Ars and his team of leading clinicians and scientists, begin by looking at the ranges of causes of the problems. They then move on to examine the essentials needed for getting good results, and they do this in the light of those things which we know at the outset cannot possibly succeed. Professor Ars has gathered together an excellent group of otologists who start with the initial causes of the problems and move on to look for the essentials of success. Having identified these, they go on to explore how we can lay the foundations to achieve them. Finally, they look at the operative procedures they consider most likely to achieve success. This is an excellent book, which should improve the thinking behind surgery for CSOM. Alan G. Kerr, OBE, FRCS

Proceedings of the 9th International Conference on Cholesteatoma and Ear Surgery. June 3-7, 2012, Nagasaki, Japan. Many color illustrations and tables. A4 (8.3x11.7 in).

This book, written by international experts, is a detailed guide to the Eustachian tube, with emphasis on those aspects of most relevance to the practitioner. The opening chapters document the clinical anatomy and provide essential information on physiology, with explanation of the new model of tubal mechanics. Diagnosis and therapy for the patulous Eustachian tube are then discussed, placing special emphasis on a novel conservative treatment regimen that has proven to be a breakthrough for patients with this clinical syndrome. A further extensive chapter examines overall function of the Eustachian tube, primarily from the middle ear surgeon’s viewpoint. Tuboplasty procedures, including laser tuboplasty, and tympanoplasty are described, and the implications of different middle ear pathologies for surgical treatment are explained. The previously unpublished treatment methods that are described in this book will be invaluable in ensuring the best possible clinical outcomes.