Balloon eustachian tuboplasty for patients with chronic eustachian tube dysfunction: a novel method for Iranian samples

Background and Aim: Balloon eustachian tuboplasty (BET) is a recently developed and approved method for management of chronic eustachian tube dysfunction (ETD). In the present study we aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of this method in Iranian samples. Methods: In this prospective case-series study, we included 15 adult patients with chronic ETD who were resistant to previous medical managements and/or ventilation tube use. All patients underwent baseline audiometry (pure tone audiometry and tympanometry), Valsalva maneuver, EDT questionnaire-7 (ETDQ-7), and physical examination. Three to six months after the BET procedure, all patients underwent four evaluation methods again. Results: We found a significant improvement in the mean ETDQ-7 scores comparing pre- and post-test scores (p < 0.0001). There was also a statistically significant decrease in the average air-bone gap from 40.55 at baseline to 27.22 after treatment (p < 0.001). In the Valsalva test, 17 out of 18 study ears (92.3%) had a positive result after the surgery. Under tympanographic evaluation, 9 ears (50%) reported a conversion from type B to type A after treatment, 2 ears (11%) had a conversion from type B to C, and 7 ears (39%) showed no any change and stayed in type B after BET. Conclusion: As a novel method in Iran, BET can be an alternative safe treatment option for chronic ETD.