Balloon Dilation of the Eustachian Tube ( <scp>BDET</scp> )—A Pooled Analysis in Pediatric Patients
Yi‐Chun Carol Liu, Marc Dean, Prasad John Thottam, Seilesh C. Babu, Kathleen Hosek, Dennis S. Poe, Shraddha S. Mukerji
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To analyze the outcomes and safety of pediatric Balloon Dilation of Eustachian Tube (BDET). STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective pooled analysis. METHODS: Records of 219 patients (425 ears) were analyzed. The inclusion criteria included children 17 years old and younger who underwent BDET with or without adjunctive procedures. Patients had a diagnosis of chronic otitis media with effusion (COME) or recurrent acute otitis media (RAOM) refractory to prior surgical treatment. Procedures were performed by a total of seven surgeons at six surgical centers. Pooled analysis was performed on efficacy, complications, BDET failure, and tympanograms. RESULTS: No major complications were reported; however, minor adverse events occurred in 5.9% of patients. BDET had a 1-year failure-free probability of 93.8% (95% CI: 89.7%-96.3%); at 2 years, it was 87.2% (95% CI: 81.9%-91.0%). Tympanograms improved in 83.7% of ears. CONCLUSION: BDET in pediatric patients demonstrated a favorable safety profile, while being effective and exhibiting long-lasting durability.