[Stability of auditory thresholds during the first 5 weeks after stapedectomy]

To assess repeatability of audiological test performed every week during the first month post-stapedectomy, audiometry was performed to 21 patients with otosclerosis (mean age 37.8 years, S.D. 9.29), every week, during the 2 weeks prior to stapedectomy and during the first 5 weeks and at week 12 after stapedectomy. Repeatability of the audiological test was evaluated comparing the difference between the audiological evaluations performed before the surgery and the difference between each consecutive pair of audiological evaluations after the surgery, using Bland & Altman method and ANOVA, allowing for 5% of significance. Before the surgery, audiological thresholds, using head phones, were repeatable for low (125-500 Hz), mid (500-2000 Hz) and high (2000-8000 Hz) frequencies in 95% of the patients. After the surgery, repeatability of air conduction thresholds for the low frequency band was evident from the 2nd week, for the mid frequency band was evident from the 3rd week and for the high frequency band from the 4th week. The gain observed at week 5 after surgery was similar to the gain observed at week 12. In conclusion, in this study, stable air conduction auditory thresholds were obtained during the first month after stapedectomy.