Effectiveness of Grommet Insertion in Resistant Otitis Media with Effusion

Aim: To determine the effectiveness of myringotomy and grommet insertion (MGI) in patients with otitis media and effusion (OME), who failed medical treatment. Setting: Mahayel Private Hospital, Aseer Region, Saudi Arabia. Design: Retrospective study. Method: Records of eighty-six children (50 boys and 36 girls), aged 1-12 years, who had MGI for chronic OME between January 2005 and December 2010 were reviewed. Patients' data included: presenting complaints, indications for MGI, ear examination, hearing threshold and tympanometry. Result: The age ranged from 1 to 12 years, 62 (72.1%) were less than 6 years old. Hearing and academic performance improved after grommet insertion. Conclusion: The study revealed that OME occurred mostly in preschool age. Hearing loss was noticed in 64 (74.4%), impaired social interaction in 37 (43%), difficulty in learning in 15 (17.4%) and delayed speech in 11 (12.8%).