Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42749785›Full record

ArticleEuropean archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery2026

Long-term outcomes of balloon dilation of the eustachian tube under local anesthesia.

Sean C Sheppard, Iman Balvanovic, Sven Beckmann, Nathalie Fehre, Cecilia Lotto, Urs Borner, Lukas Anschuetz

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Article in European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

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0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Sean C SheppardDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, 3010, Switzerland.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6427-3102
Iman BalvanovicDepartment of Oral Surgery and Stomatology, School of Dental Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, 3010, Switzerland.
Sven BeckmannDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, 3010, Switzerland.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4305-2658
Nathalie FehreDepartment of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, 01307, Germany.
Cecilia LottoDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, CHUV, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, 1011, Switzerland. Cecilia.lotto@chuv.ch.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6276-1997
Urs BornerDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, 3010, Switzerland.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1186-4181
Lukas AnschuetzDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, CHUV, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, 1011, Switzerland.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6927-0664

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeTo evaluate the long-term outcomes, safety, and feasibility of balloon dilation of the Eustachian tube (BDET) performed under local anesthesia in patients with baro-challenge-induced and obstructive Eustachian tube dysfunction (ETD).

methodsThis prospective observational cohort study included 65 adult patients (89 ears) undergoing in-office BDET under local anesthesia between May 2020 and June 2023. Symptoms were assessed using the 7-item Eustachian Tube Dysfunction Questionnaire (ETDQ-7) and a visual analogue scale (VAS). Clinical examination, Valsalva maneuver, tympanometry, and pure-tone audiometry were additionally evaluated when available. Follow-up was performed at 3, 12, and 24 months.

resultsThirty-seven patients had baro-challenge-induced ETD and 28 had obstructive ETD (OETD). All 65 patients underwent BDET under local anesthesia, with a mean intraoperative pain score of 5/10. Mean ETDQ-7 scores improved significantly in the overall cohort (p < 0.0001), with improvement maintained at 12 and 24 months. Improvement was significant in baro-challenge-induced ETD but not in OETD. Subjective ability to perform the Valsalva maneuver improved significantly in both groups, while air-conduction thresholds improved significantly in the baro-challenge group. One self-limiting cervicofacial subcutaneous emphysema occurred, with no major complications.

conclusionIn-office BDET under local anesthesia is a safe and feasible treatment for ETD, with symptomatic improvement maintained for up to 24 months. Patients with baro-challenge-induced ETD appear to benefit most, whereas outcomes in OETD are more variable. These findings highlight the importance of appropriate patient selection and counseling.

Indexed as

Ear pressureETDQ-7Eustachian tube dysfunctionIn-officeLocal anesthesiaTuboplasty

Identifiers

PMID42749785

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.