Intact canal wall tympanoplasty in the management of cholesteatoma

There are presently two schools of thought on the proper surgical management of cholesteatoma associated with chronic ear disease: one feels that the ear should be exteriorized and left “open”; the other takes the position that the disease can be removed, and the ear left in its normal anatomical and functional state. The latter group are known to favor a “closed” or more conservative procedure. The purpose of this paper is to review a, series of patients who have had cholesteatoma managed by an intact canal Avail procedure that prevents a postoperative cavity.