Patulous eustachian tube in bariatric surgery patients

OBJECTIVE: Patulous eustachian tube (PET) is associated with several factors, including weight loss. Rapid and significant weight loss in bariatric surgery patients may be risk factors for developing PET. The aim of this study is to provide information about the prevalence of PET after bariatric surgery and its association to weight loss. STUDY DESIGN: Case series with planned data collection. SETTING: Tertiary center. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: We recruited 163 patients who had undergone bariatric surgery at the Clinical Hospital of the University of Chile between 2006 and 2009. One hundred forty-one patients were finally analyzed by clinical interview and physical examination. Two groups were formed, with and without PET. The degree, time, and velocity of weight loss were compared between groups. Demographic information and clinical presentation are also presented. RESULTS: The mean age was 38.9 years, and 76.6 percent of the patients were female. We found PET in 21.28 percent of the patients. Autophony was present in 96.6 percent of patients diagnosed with PET. Patients without PET experienced weight loss at an average of 39.54 kg during 16.59 months, while patients with PET experienced weight loss at an average of 48.63 kg in 12.11 months. The weight loss velocity in the PET group had a mean of 5.34 +/- 3.4 kg/month versus 2.98 +/- 1.3 kg/month in patients without PET. Time (P = 0.0037), magnitude (P = 0.0002), and velocity (P = 0.0005) of weight loss was higher in patients with PET. CONCLUSION: Our case series shows a significant prevalence of PET in bariatric surgery patients, which has a correlation with weight loss velocity and magnitude. (C) 2010 American Academy of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery Foundation. All rights reserved.