Objective: To assess patient injury characteristics and contributing factors in otology.

Methods: Data on the accepted patient-injury claims involving otorhinolaryngology (ORL), closed between 2001 and 2011, from the Finnish Patient Insurance Centre registry was retrieved. We included all injuries concerning otology, with evaluation and classification of their causes and types.

Results: During the 10-year study period, a total of 44 claims were accepted as compensated patient injuries in otology. From a total of 233 patient injuries in all ORL, this amounted to 19%. In outpatient care, occurred 12 (27%) injuries and in surgical procedures 32 (73%). Five (11%) patients were children. Errors in surgical technique were identified as the primary cause of the injury in 22 (69%) operation-related cases. Failure to remove all auricular tampons or packing in postoperative control was a contributing factor in 4 (13%) injuries, a facial nerve was damaged in 9 (28%) operations, and in 12 (38%) patients, the injury resulted in severe hearing loss or deafness. Six patients (21%) needed one or more re-operations related to the injury, of which two were due to an incomplete primary operation.

Conclusion: Typical compensated patient injuries in operative otology resulted from common complications of common operations in high volume centres.