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Smoking damages ear health
and complicates ear surgery
Newswise — It has long been
known that active smoking exerts a negative
effect on normal ear functioning and hearing
by chronically irritating the Eustachian
tube and the lining of the middle ear.
Smokers tend to have more chronic ear
disease requiring surgical correction, and
have more advanced disease at presentation
than their non-smoking counterparts. Their
hearing commonly suffers as a result.
A new study presented at the
2007 AAO-HNSF Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO has
shown for the first time that once surgery
is performed to rid smokers of their ear
disease, their postoperative hearing acuity
is significantly worse than non-smokers who
undergo similar surgery.
They are also prone to more
complications and need more revision surgery
on average than non-smokers. The large
retrospective study examined 1,531
procedures in 1,183 patients for ear disease
from 1990-2004.
Patients included 846
smokers, 291 nonsmokers, and 74 former
smokers. Most importantly, patients who
smoked had worse preoperative and
postoperative hearing. However, those who
had been smoke-free for more than five years
attained recovery rates similar to
nonsmokers.
These study results provide
for millions of smokers who suffer from
chronically infected ears and some forms of
hearing loss, scientific evidence that
renewed efforts to quit will positively
impact their treatment course and perhaps
protect their ability to hear.
Title: The Effects of Smoking
on Otologic Surgery Outcomes
Authors: J. Matthew Conoyer MD, David Kaylie,
MD, Bryan M. Davis, MD, Marc Logan Bennett,
MD, C Gary Jackson, MD
Date: Tuesday, Sep 18, 8:02 am - 8:10 am
About the AAO-HNS
The American Academy of Otolaryngology –
Head and Neck Surgery (http://www.entnet.org),
one of the oldest medical associations in
the nation, represents more than 12,000
physicians and allied health professionals
who specialize in the diagnosis and
treatment of disorders of the ears, nose,
throat, and related structures of the head
and neck. The Academy serves its members by
facilitating the advancement of the science
and art of medicine related to
otolaryngology and by representing the
specialty in governmental and socioeconomic
issues. The organization’s mission: “Working
for the Best Ear, Nose, and Throat Care.
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