Objective To assess the change in disease-specific quality of life in children
with recurrent acute otitis media and/or chronic otitis media with effusion
treated with surgical intervention.
Design Prospective questionnaire-based outcome study.
Setting An academic pediatric otolaryngology practice.
Participants Consecutive series of 123 children referred for surgical treatment of
recurrent acute otitis media and/or chronic otitis media with effusion.
Intervention and Methods Surgery included bilateral myringotomy and tympanostomy tube placement
either alone or with adenoidectomy. An otitis media disease–specific
questionnaire was administered before and after surgical intervention.
Main Outcome Measures Comparison of the mean percentage change in total ear symptom score
between presurgery and postsurgery scores at 1 and 6 months after surgery.
Results The mean percentage change in total ear symptom score was a 74.5% improvement
(P<.001) at the 1-month follow-up and a 59.8%
improvement (P<.001) at the 6-month follow-up.
Parental worry related to the child's ear problems was also significantly
decreased, with a mean otitis media disease–specific questionnaire score
of 3.43 (P<.001) at 1 month and 2.64 (P<.001) at 6 months after surgery. When caregivers were asked if
they would have their child undergo tympanostomy tube placement if they had
to make the decision again, 91% and 84% responded yes at the 1- and 6-month
follow-up, respectively.
Conclusions The disease-specific quality of life of children with recurrent acute
otitis media and/or chronic otitis media with effusion with appropriate surgical
indications significantly improved after surgical intervention. The amount
of parental worry concerning their children's ear problems also significantly
improved following surgery, and most caregivers would opt again for tube placement.
