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Laser-assisted stapedotomy with a Nitinol heat-crimping prosthesis: Outcomes compared with a platinum fluoroplastic
Eduard I Pudel1, Robert J S Briggs
1University of Melbourne, Department of Otolaryngology, East Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. epudel@hotmail.com
Objective:
To assess the hearing outcomes achieved with a Nitinol heat-crimping prosthesis when used with a laser-assisted stapedotomy for otosclerosis.
Study Design:
Prospective assessment of 50 stapedotomies performed in 48 patients. Data collected included audiological results and duration of hospital admission. Outcomes were compared with a previously reported series of 66 stapedotomies performed in 59 patients.
Setting:
Tertiary referral center and private practice.
Results:
In the Nitinol group, hearing was improved in all cases (100%). The air-bone gap (ABG) was closed to within 10 dB in 48 (96%). This group's results are significantly better (P < or = 0.01) than those of the platinum fluoroplastic group, in whom ABG was within 10 dB in 74 percent.
Conclusion:
Laser-assisted stapedotomy, under local anesthesia with sedation, using a Nitinol heat-crimping prosthesis is a safe, well-tolerated technique with which excellent audiological results can be achieved.
