The trial seeks to provide evidence that the Skye ActiveBarrier provides similar surgical and functional outcomes as fascia when used for tympanoplasties while offering benefits including reduced operative time, better patient satisfaction, and fewer complications.
A prospective randomized controlled trial will be conducted. Eligible patients will be identified, recruited and randomized to receive either repair using the standard fascia graft or repair using the Skye ActiveBarrier. Subjects will undergo a preoperative evaluation followed by TM repair and subsequent regular office visits to assess functional outcomes, complications, and satisfaction. Patients will be blinded to the substrate used for their repair. As there are two different approaches for a tympanoplasty (through the ear canal or incision behind the ear) based on the subject's ear anatomy and location of the perforation, a sham surgery will not be necessary to disguise which graft is received. At follow up visits, photos may be taken of patients' TMs and these photos will be evaluated for healing by an otologist who did not conduct the surgery in a blinded fashion. At the 1 year follow up appointment, subjects will be told which substrate they received and at the study's conclusion subjects will notified about the study's findings.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE
Substrate derived from amniotic tissue that is FDA-approved for human implantation
Autologous donor substrate. Examples include tragal cartilage, perichondrium, temporalis fascia, and temporoparietal fascia
Comparable or improved performance of Skye ActiveBarrier
Comparable or improved performance will be assessed by combining data from 6 specific measurements: air and bone gap audiogram, word recognition score via audiogram, number of surgical/post-surgical complications, operating time and healing time.
Time frame: 12-18 months
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