Balloon Dilation Of The Eustachian Tube

Eustachian tube dysfunction (ETD) occurs when the functional valve of the eustachian tube fails to open and/or close properly. This failure is frequently due to inflammation and can cause symptoms such as muffled hearing, ear fullness, tinnitus, and vertigo. Chronic obstructive ETD can lead to hearing loss, otitis media, tympanic membrane perforation, and cholesteatomas. Balloon dilation of the eustachian tube (BDET) is a procedure intended to improve patency by inflating a balloon in the cartilaginous part of the eustachian tube to cause local dilation.