Abstract
The advantages and limitations of the microscope have defined transmastoid access as the surgical intervention of choice for the treatment of cholesteatoma. The wideangle view provided by the endoscope enables transcanal access to the tympanic cavity and its otherwise difficult-to-reach extensions: the attic, sinus tympani, facial recess, and hypotympanum. These areas are the primary sites of disease and surgical failure to cure. This report is a summary of the author's two 17 years of experience with the use of transcanal operative endoscopy as the primary approach to the management of cholesteatoma.
