Russian Physicians Perform First Ear Drum Repair Using Patient's Own Cells

Photo Source: Sechenov University Press Service

Perforated ear drums affect approximately 5 out of every 1,000 people and can result from ear infections, physical trauma, or pressure-related injuries (barotrauma). The condition causes hearing loss and increases the risk of chronic ear infections and middle ear complications.

Currently, the standard treatment is surgical tympanoplasty, which uses fragments of the patient's cartilage or other tissues to repair the membrane. The new technique instead uses the patient's fat tissue as source material. Specialized cells are extracted and cultured into tiny spheroids, which surgeons then implant along with a biodegradable membrane at the perforation site.

The technology harnesses the body's natural healing mechanisms: tissues fuse within 3 weeks, compared to the typical 3-month recovery period following traditional tympanoplasty. For patients, this means faster hearing restoration with minimal complication risk, the procedure is quicker, better tolerated, and can be performed under local anesthesia.

Sechenov University plans to expand this technology to repair other critical structures, including vocal cords, nasal tissue, and the urethra. The benefits of regenerative medicine in ear, nose, and throat surgery are supported by international research. For instance, Japanese scientists using cultured sheets of the patient's own nasal tissue for ear drum repair have achieved success in treating complex hearing disorders.

Previously, Marus Media reported that Moscow opened one of the largest advanced hearing restoration centers, the Audiological Center at the L.I. Sverzhevsky Research Clinical Institute of Otorhinolaryngology. The facility offers comprehensive treatment for hearing disorders and complete auditory prosthetic services.

Source: Sechenov University