Ear: vertical canal ablation

Introduction

• Removal of entire vertical canal.

Uses

• Management of diseases of external ear confined to vertical canal, eg non-responsive otitis externa .

Disadvantages

• Most external ear diseases not limited solely to vertical canal.

Requirements

Materials required

Minimum equipment

• Standard surgical kit.

Ideal equipment

• Diathermy.

Minimum consumables

• Monofilament suture material.

Sequelae

Complications

• Facial nreve palsy if nerve traumatized at surgery.
• Drooping ear pinna in dogs with prick ears.

Prognosis

• Same as lateral wall resection .
• This procedure alone does not completely solve all chronic ear diseases.
• Up to 40% of lateral wall resection operations result in failure or continuing ear disease - see reasons for failure.

Reasons for treatment failure

• Poor surgical technique.
• Often due to poor candidate selection (most ear diseases involve horizontal as well as vertical canal).
• Failure to control underlying cause of otitis externa.
• Existing and continuing middle ear disease .
• Irreversible change to the horizontal canal.