Office-Based LA-BET Without Sedation or Nerve Block: Prospective Evaluation of a Simplified Local Anesthesia Protocol
Cheng-Yu Hsieh, Yi-Fan Chou, Chuan-Jen Hsu

TL;DR
A simplified local anesthesia protocol for eustachian tube surgery is safe and effective without sedation.
Contribution
Demonstrates a feasible, office-based LA-BET protocol without sedation or nerve blocks for OETD.
Findings
ETDQ-7 scores improved significantly post-surgery (p < 0.001).
90.6% of ears achieved minimal clinically important difference in symptoms.
96% of patients reported willingness to undergo the procedure again.
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Balloon eustachian tuboplasty (BET) is an effective surgical option for obstructive eustachian tube dysfunction (OETD). However, the feasibility of performing BET under local anesthesia (LA) using simplified analgesic protocols remains underexplored. We examined the feasibility of a streamlined LA-BET protocol. Methods: Fifty patients (sixty-four ears) diagnosed with primary OETD between March 2024 and December 2025 were enrolled. All patients underwent BET under LA using intramuscular ketorolac and topical lidocaine gel without sedation or nerve blocks. Pain scores, blood pressure changes, and patient acceptance were analyzed for each patient; Eustachian Tube Dysfunction Questionnaire-7 (ETDQ-7) scores, tympanogram types, and Valsalva results were analyzed for each ear. All outcome measures were assessed 3 months postoperatively. Results: The mean ETDQ-7 score…
Genes, proteins, chemicals, diseases, species, mutations and cell lines named across the full text — each resolved to its canonical identifier and authoritative record.
Peer Reviews
No public reviews on file for this paper yet. If you reviewed it on a platform where reviews are public (OpenReview, ICLR, NeurIPS, ICML), you can paste yours below so the community can read it here.
Videos
No videos yet. Explain this paper in a talk, walkthrough, or lecture? Add one.
Taxonomy
TopicsEar Surgery and Otitis Media · Reconstructive Facial Surgery Techniques · Nasal Surgery and Airway Studies
