Single flap with three pedicles, bone pat, and split-thickness skin graft for immediate mastoid obliteration after canal wall down mastoidectomy

Our objective was to evaluate single flap with three pedicles, bone pat, and split-thickness skin graft for mastoid cavity obliteration after canal wall down mastoidectomy done for chronic suppurative otitis media and its efficacy in producing a small and dry mastoid cavity. Over a period of 7 years (2003-2010), 100 consecutive procedures in 100 patients with chronic suppurative otitis media were performed at the Mansoura University Hospital (Egypt) with a minimum follow-up of 12 months (range 12-72 months). All patients had canal wall down mastoidectomy with simultaneous tympanoplasty. Anteriorly, inferiorly and superiorly pedicled periosteal flap, which was covered by split-thickness skin graft, was used in conjunction with autologous bone pat, to obliterate the mastoid cavity. Postoperative evaluation was done based on certain criteria and grading system from 0 to 3. Grade 0 is considered perfect, grade 3 represents failure and grade 1 and 2 are adequate but not perfect. The summation of grade "0" (perfect dry) and grade "1" (adequate dry) was 88, 95, 97.23 and 98.44% after follow-up periods of 12, 24, 36 and 48 months, and 100% after 60 and 72 months. Periosteal flap based on three pedicles (anterior, inferior and superior) covering the bone pat, is simple, perfect and adequate for obliteration of mastoid cavity after canal wall down mastoidectomy. Split-thickness skin graft is important to hasten the epithelialization that helps to obtain a dry cavity. The use of local tissues saves costs and avoids complications from the synthetic materials.