The effect of fascia and free skin graft on the healing of mastoid cavity after canal wall down mastoidectomy

Objective Post-mastoidectomy delayed cavity healing is a challenge to manage. This study aimed to cut down healing time with a simple technique (fascia with a skin graft) and compared it with controls without this technique. Method The current study was a prospective non-randomised controlled study, conducted in a tertiary referral hospital. Thirty cases and 30 controls with squamosal type chronic otitis media were studied. Results By the end of first month, 23.3 per cent of cases had healed compared with 3.3 per cent of controls. At the third month follow up, 83.3 per cent of cases and 53.3 per cent of controls had healed. At the sixth month follow up, 93.3 per cent of cases and 86 per cent of controls had healed. Conclusion Healing of the mastoid cavity, as evidenced by epithelialisation and formation of a dry cavity, was faster in cases that received the graft when compared with controls without the graft.