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Rationale for Endoscopic Ear Surgery

In clear contrast to the impact of the introduction of endoscope in most surgical disciplines, the practice of ear surgery has changed little and it continues to be the domain for the microscope. Depending on the task at hand, there are many distinctions that would make the endoscope a better instrument than the microscope and vice versa. We all need to master working with both instruments to better understand and treat pathologies of the ear. The objective of this group and this web site is to neutralize these longstanding biases toward the microscope and to get all of us to use the best instrument in the best way possible to help our patients.

The ability to place the surgeons eyes within the ear cavity using angled endoscopes, allows the operator a contextual understanding of the anatomy that is difficult to match using the microscope.  The disease/ anatomical interface is better appreciated.  This improved anatomical understanding, in turn provides confidence in surgical procedures both endoscopically and microscopically.

When compared to the microscope, two distinct advantages are present with the endoscope.

  1. The Objective lens is placed within the ear canal or middle ear, which allows for an all-encompassing contextual view of the disease/ anatomy interface.  In contrast, the traditional microscopic method relies on removal of significant amounts of normal bone and soft tissue, often with removal of intact structures to fully observe the disease extent.
  2. The live image used by the surgeon is the same one that everyone else in the operating room is observing. This simultaneous viewing significantly increases engagement, teaching opportunities and interest in the surgical procedure from all present in the OR.
enscopic ear surgery field of view

The use of the endoscope enables the surgeon to visualize past the shaft of larger surgical instruments, such as drills and curettes, and allows better visualization of anatomical structures.

 

To view the up to date research on Endoscopic Ear Surgery, please visit the link below.

RSS endoscopy ear

  • Reducing AL After Double-Stapling Anastomosis: A Novel Laparoscopic Technique for Dog Ear Area Resection October 28, 2025
    CONCLUSIONS: In this retrospective study, laparoscopic "dog ear" resection before DSA was associated with reduced AL risk and did not compromise surgical safety in colorectal cancer surgery, suggesting it may be a feasible refinement to standard procedures. These associations, however, require validation through prospective studies.
    Yuan Jinpeng
  • Endoscopic Retrieval of Displaced Maxillary Third Molar Crown: A Pediatric Endonasal Approach October 24, 2025
    Iatrogenic displacement of third molars is a rare but significant complication of dental extractions, particularly in children where unique anatomic and developmental factors pose additional challenges. This report describes the case of a 12-year-old female who presented with a displaced maxillary third molar crown into the left maxillary sinus following dental extraction. This displacement resulted […]
    Bastien A Valencia-Sanchez
  • Primary and Secondary Sinonasal Aspergillosis in Dogs October 16, 2025
    Introduction: Canine sinonasal aspergillosis (SNA) can present singular as a primary disease or secondary to concurrent sinonasal pathology. We hypothesized that treatment response and prognosis differ between both forms, particularly when sinusitis is present. Methods: In this retrospective study, 30 dogs with SNA were categorized as either group pA (primary aspergillosis) or group sA (secondary […]
    Sarah Rösch
  • Establishment of the endonasal dacryocystorhinostomy technique and initial results at a German university eye hospital October 16, 2025
    CONCLUSION: The EnDCR technique can be quickly learned by experienced oculoplastic surgeons under supervision with a flat learning curve. The success rate over the short-term course (here in the small cohort so far above 90%) is comparable to the success rates of external DCR in the literature.
    Christoph Holtmann
  • Curative effect analysis of tympanoplasty with auricular cartilage combined with eustachian tube balloon dilation in the treatment of adhesive otitis media by endotoscope October 15, 2025
    Objective:This study was aimed to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of tympanoplasty using auricular cartilage combined with balloon eustachian tuboplasty for the treatment of adhesive otitis media（adhesive otitis media, AdOM） under endoscopic. Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on 60 patients with unilateral adhesive otitis media who visited Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, the First […]
    Xiaofeng Wang
  • Machine Learning-Enhanced Clinical Decision Support for Diagnosing Sinusitis With Nasal Endoscopy October 15, 2025
    CONCLUSION: This novel ML-driven diagnostic framework with a rule-based clinical algorithm enhances decision-making for diagnosing sinusitis with NE. By reducing inter-operator variability, achieving performance comparable to otolaryngologists, and enabling real-time processing for non-specialists, this work holds potential for standardizing care and improving patient outcomes. Future research will focus on expanding to different sinusitis phenotypes and […]
    Dipesh Gyawali
  • Endoscopic Management of Primary External Auditory Canal Cholesteatoma: Outcomes and Technical Considerations October 7, 2025
    CONCLUSION: Endoscopic intervention is the treatment of choice for PEACC. In cases of limited disease, TEES alone typically achieves excellent outcomes, resulting in a dry, clean, and healed external auditory canal, while extensive cases often require a combined endoscopic and open surgical approach for optimal control.
    Yuvatiya Plodpai
  • Endoscopic vestibular schwannoma surgery October 6, 2025
    In the last few decades, the role of the endoscope in the treatment of middle ear pathology has become increasingly popular. Through experience gained in endoscopic anterior skull-base surgery, developed using the nose as a surgical corridor, approaches to the inner ear and the lateral skull base have changed as well. Recently, Marchioni et al. […]
    Nicola Bisi
  • Endoscopic ear surgery : indications and surgical technique October 2, 2025
    Endoscopic ear surgery is a recently developed technique for minimally invasive middle ear reconstruction. It allows for a panoramic and detailed visualization of middle ear structures, enabling precise procedures to be performed with reduced morbidity. Applicable to a wide range of pathologies (cholesteatoma, tympanoplasty, ossiculoplasty, otosclerosis), it offers anatomical and functional results equivalent to those […]
    Sinan Ghavami
  • Accurate 3D reconstruction of eardrum perforations using Structure from Motion photogrammetry September 23, 2025
    CONCLUSION: This pilot study demonstrates that SfM can generate highly accurate 3D reconstructions of eardrum perforations of varying sizes in 3D-printed models and one human subject. The promising ability to reconstruct live intraoperative patient data highlights its clinical viability, particularly for adding objective measurements to clinical exam, surgical planning, and potentially patient-specific graft design.
    Jeremy S Ruthberg