2005 Volume 15 Issue 3 Pages 253-257
A 62-year-old man was refered to our clinic, complaining of the difficulty in removing an ear mold impression. CT examination showed that the impression material impacted tightly into the right middle ear through the perforation of the ear drum. The foreign body was removed piece by piece under general anesthesia by using trans-meatal and trans-tympanic technique. The ear mold impression was used in an eye-glass shop by an inexperienced ear-mold technician who had never examined the ear drum and never used an otoblock before.
This accident suggested some important matters as follows.
1. It is not necessary to obtain any license for taking the ear mold impression in Japan.
2. Some of the salesman of hearing aids has poor knowledge of the basic anatomy and physiology of the ear.
3. Before taking impression, no history taking and no examination of the ear were performed occasionally.
4. It is emphasized that the good relationship between experimental ENT doctors and hearing aid dealers should be established.
