The transcanal endoscopic ear surgery was found to be linked with minimized postsurgery pain compared to conventional microscopic ear surgery. 

A prospective single-institution study was carried out to explore the postsurgery pain, quality of life, and the requirement for analgesics in individuals undergoing endoscopic and microscopic ear surgeries.

The study incorporated 92 participants undergoing ear procedures (44 reconstructive and 48 cholesteatoma; 49 microscopic and 43 endoscopic). The postsurgery pain (visual analogue scale [VAS]) and painkillers intake were recorded and comparatively evaluated in each subgroup.

Following endoscopic ear surgeries, the VAS and analgesics intake were found to be reduced. In the cholesteatoma arm, about 94% of endoscopic subjects reported VAS 0-2 vs. 58 % of microscopic subjects on the first day. In reconstructive cases, comparable tendencies were noted (92% vs. 73%).

On the first day, about 92% of endoscopic, and 77% of microscopic reconstruction individuals were not given painkillers. In the cholesteatoma arm, it was noted that about 88% of endoscopic subjects, 43% of microscopic subjects utilizing endaural strategy, and 75% of microscopic subjects utilizing retroauricular strategy, needed no painkillers on the first day after surgery.

It is the endoscope itself (and not the transmeatal strategy) that alleviates post-surgery pain. Removing the same size cholesteatoma utilizing an endoscope (rather than utilizing a microscope) causes less intensive post-surgery pain. Individuals after endoscopic ear surgery were found to very rarely take painkillers to manage their postsurgery pain.

In comparison with conventional microscopic ear surgery, transcanal endoscopic ear surgery causes less post-surgery pain.