Surgical management of cholesteatoma in an only hearing ear

The patient with a cholesteatoma in an only hearing ear presents a management dilemma: how best to treat the patient to minimize the chances of developing a severe hearing loss in that ear. Twelve patients managed surgically for cholesteatoma in their only hearing ear are reviewed. The location and extent of the cholesteatoma, the type of operation performed, and postoperative hearing results are presented. Eleven of the 12 patients maintained their bone-conducted speech reception threshold to within 5 dB of the preoperative level during follow-up periods of 2 months to 4 years. Recommendations are made regarding preoperative evaluation, perioperative use of antibiotics and steroids, operative planning, ossicular reconstruction, and postoperative care. Special attention is given to the evaluation and management of the ear that has a fistula eroding into the cochlea and semicircular canals, both when suspected from preoperative imaging studies and when discovered intraoperatively.