This article is only available in the PDF format. Download the PDF to view the article, as well as its associated figures and tables.
The advent of the tympanoplastic operation by Wullstein and Zöllner has opened a new and fascinating field of otologic surgery. A full-thickness skin graft from behind the ear is used to repair the tympanic membrane and restore function to the middle ear. The graft is taken at the beginning of the operation. Removing it later causes too much bleeding for the crucial stages of the operation, when hemostasis is so important. The problem of what to do with the graft after taking it has been a point of considerable discussion.
Tympanoplastic operations are extremely delicate; after removal of the graft considerable time may elapse before the surgeon is ready to place the graft on its bed. Guilford and Wright have demonstrated the harmful effects the graft may suffer when placed in saline or other solutions during the waiting period. Various preparations have been proposed in which the graft may be