London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
London County Council 1931
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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The Year 1930.
| Type of operation done. | Number of cases. | Total length of period of healing. |
|---|---|---|
| Heath conservative type without flap | 13 | 271 weeks |
| Cortical with removal of incus and muscle graft | — | _ |
| Cortical with muscle graft | 6 | 69 „ |
| Heath conservative type with flap | 3 | 46 „ |
| Epitympanic | 2 | 41 „ |
| Radical with muscle graft | 18 | 252 „ |
| Radical without flap | 43 | 1,064 , |
| Radical with flap | 18 | 367 „ |
| Radical with Woolf skin graft | 1 | 26 „ |
| Radical with skin pedicle | 1 | 16 „ |
| Total | 105 | 2,152 weeks. |
The Year 1931.
| Type of operation done. | Number of cases. | Total length o/f period of healing. |
|---|---|---|
| Heath conservative type without flap | 2 | 71 weeks |
| Cortical with removal of incus and muscle graft | 1 | 5 „ |
| Cortical with muscle graft | 55 | 973 „ |
| Radical with muscle graft | 40 | 762 „ |
| Radical without flap | 27 | 781 „ |
| Radical with flap | 33 | 740 „ |
| Radical with Woolf skin graft | 1 | 14 „ |
| Total | 159 | 3,346 weeks. |
These tables show that, in 1930, 105 cases took 2,152 weeks to heal, which gives an average
of 20.5 weeks per case; whereas in 1931, 159 cases took 3,346 weeks to heal, which gives an average
of 21 weeks per case.
Combined, the 264 cases took 5,498 weeks to heal, which gives an average of 20.8 weeks
per case.
The separate types of operation done, the number of cases of each, and the length of time 0 healing for both years combined are shown below:—
| Type of operation done. | Number of cases. | Number of weeks. | Average Number of weeks per case. |
|---|---|---|---|
| (a) Heath conservative type without flap | 15 | 342 | 23 |
| (b) Cortical with removal of incus and muscle graft | 1 | 5 | 5 |
| (c) Cortical with muscle graft | 61 | 1,042 | 17 |
| 3 | 46 | 15.5 | |
| (e) Epitympanic | 2 | 41 | 205 |
| (/) Radical with muscle graft | 58 | 1,014 | 17.5 |
| 70 | 1,845 | 26.5 | |
| 51 | 1,107 | 21.5 | |
| (i) Radical with Woolf skin graft | 2 | 40 | 20 |
| (k) Radical with skin pedicle | 1 | 16 | 16 |
In the above table (o) to (e) inclusive are conservative types of operation, and (/) to (k) are
radical types of operation.
Of the conservative types of operation the numbers of (6), (d) and (e) are too small to give
any reliable indication. Of the remaining types of operation it would appear that the cortical
operation with muscle graft gives the best results as regards the period of healing, viz., 17 weeks
per case on an average.
Of the radical types of operation the number of (t) and (k) are too small to consider. Of the
remaining types of operation it would appear that the radical operation with temporal muscle
graft gives the best results, viz., 17J weeks per case on an average.
This result of the combined years gives the same result as was arrived at from the figures of
1930.
It should be understood that every case must be judged on its merits as regards type of
operation done, and, while the above figures show that certain types of operation give the best
results, it may not be possible always to perform this type of operation. But from practical