NITINOL PISTON VERSUS CONVENTIONAL TEFLON PISTON: A SITUATION ANALYSIS FOR DATA MANAGEMENT

Abstract

Objective: To compare the performance of the Nitinol piston with the conventional Teflon piston.
Methods: Conducted from the perspective of a retrospective study, this investigation focused on
patients in public healthcare firms in a Vietnamese context. Particularly, the study examined the
participants’ medical records. The inclusion criterion was set in such a way that the participants
were expected to have had pathologically and surgically confirmed otosclerosis diagnosis. From
the perspective of the exclusion criterion, medical records of patients who might have been lost to
follow-up, those who had insufficient audiometric data, and those who exhibited revision surgery
were not considered for analysis. Also, this investigation focused on prosthesis lengths that
stretched from 4.00 millimeters to 4.50 millimeters. Also, the diameter of the target prostheses
was expected to range from 0.40 millimeters to 0.60 millimeters.
Results: Findings from the conventional Teflon piston group revealed 26.1900 ± 6.7600dBHL while the
outcomes for the case of the Nitinol piston participants stood at 26.7900 ± 8.3300dBHL. The
postoperative ABG average was also investigated for both groups. Regarding the Nitinol group, findings
depicted values of 7.9200 ± 6.7500dBHL. At P = 0.018, results for the preoperative stage for this group
stood at 26.7900 ± 8.3300dBHL. As such, it was concluded that the Nitinol piston group’s preoperative
ABG average was significantly larger than the postoperative ABG average.
Conclusion: In summary, this study’s results revealed that the success of stapes surgery depends on
the accuracy of the prosthesis loop’s crimping. From a data management perspective, the
comparison of the performance of the conventional Teflon piston with that of the Nitinol piston
suggests distinct advantages with the use of the Nitinol shape-memory prosthesis. Hence, the
Nitinol piston forms a more effective, safer, and easier treatment option that could be applied to
clinical or medical interventions such as those involving otosclerosis surgeries.