Dr. Hoffer said that mastoidectomy might be needed more often than Dr. Rivas suggested. They can be needed not only for removal of disease, but also for aeration of the cavity for better long-term results.
He also drew attention to potential problems with heat. “If you’re focusing in detail with an endoscope, there is a heat concern,” he said. It hasn’t been shown that hyperthermia causes harm, he said, but it has been shown that hypothermia reduces harm.
Controlling the heat can mean moving the endoscope frequently, adding time to the procedure. “It’s not technology that I avoid,” Dr. Hoffer said. “It’s just that I don’t do it for as many cases.”
Thomas Collins is a freelance medical writer based in Florida.