[Long-term results of stapes surgery--over 1000 patients]

Authors present audiometric results of 1200 patients with otosclerosis post stapedotomy. Air-conduction, bone-conduction and air-bone gap was measured prior the surgery and 12 months post stapedotomy for frequencies 0.5, 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0 kHz. In the analysed group of 1200 patients a postoperative air-bone gap 0-10 and 11-20 dB was obtained in 93.7% patients. The result of stapedotomy in reference to tinnitus based on the patients' subjective opinion showed that 78.0% patients were either free from tinnitus or tinnitus was subjectively decreased. Authors stress that some anatomical abnormalities in the tympanic cavity might influence on the result of stapes surgery.