[Stapes surgery in otosclerosis and small middle ear abnormality]

Stapes surgery in otosclerosis (first and revision operation) and in minor middle ear malformation follows the same principles, but the surgical problems are rather different. When analyzing three groups of patients, which had been operated on the same technique, we could show that the risks of the operation in malformation and revision surgery are not greater than they are in primary otosclerosis surgery. The audiologic results are more satisfying in the latter; malformation surgery and revision surgery have almost the same results which are lying somewhat below those of primary otosclerosis surgery. In the hands of an experienced surgeon, who is able to adopt his surgical technique at the individual situation, stapes surgery is nearly without risk in all these indications; an improvement of the air-conducting level of 18-23 dB can be expected and a social hearing above 35 dB can be provided in 83% of otosclerosis patients, in 79% of malformation patients and in 57% of revision patients.