The Clínic de Barcelona is the first hospital in Spain to use endoscopic surgery for the removal of glomus tumors in the middle ear, in such a way that the tumor is removed through the ear canals instead of the classic technique, which consists of performing a incision behind the ear.
Clonal tumors are rare, they are usually benign, small and located in the dermis or subcutaneous cellular tissue anywhere in the body, although they are more concentrated in the hands and feet. Pain that increases in intensity over the years and sensitivity to cold are some of its symptoms.
Sometimes they are located in the temporal bone of the skull, behind the eardrum. In June 2018, the Clínic began using endoscopic transcanal surgery and has now published a study in The Journal of Laryngology-Otology that demonstrates that this minimally invasive technique is safe and effective in removing early-stage tumors from the eardrum.
The technique consists of using the natural corridor of the ear canal to extract the tumor through the ear and avoid incisions. Endoscopy is used to reach deeper inside than with the traditional microscope and a specific laser to coagulate the incision made and prevent bleeding, which can affect structures such as the inner ear, the facial nerve or the ossicular chain.
“We can dissect the tumor and extract it without having to remove bone or destroying fewer structures in our path,” explains Francesc Larrosa, consultant at the Clínic's otorhinolaryngology service. The technique cannot be applied in all cases, but only in tumors in early stages and that do not extend outside the middle ear.
The prevalence of this pathology is minimal, and only 10 interventions have been performed at the Clínic using the endoscopy technique. The advantages for the patient are significant compared to the conventional technique, which begins with an incision behind the ear and requires one or two days of hospitalization.
By avoiding the incision, and although the intervention may take longer, patients return home the same day, suffer less postoperative pain, less aesthetic impact, and preserve the sensitivity of the auricle.
