Hearing results in adults after stapedotomy

Area of Science:

• Otolaryngology
• Audiology
• Surgical Innovation

Background:

• Otosclerosis, though rare, is a common cause of hearing loss in patients with intact tympanic membranes.
• While non-surgical options exist, stapes surgery remains the preferred treatment.
• This study evaluates short-term hearing results after primary stapedotomy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess short-term hearing outcomes in adults following primary stapedotomy for otosclerosis.
• To identify factors influencing post-operative hearing results.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of clinical records of patients undergoing primary stapedotomy.
• Data collected from October 2011 to December 2011 at K. K. Ramalingam Ear, Nose and Throat Hospital and Research institute.
• Analysis of pre- and post-operative pure tone averages and air-bone gaps.

Main Results:

• 31 adult patients (61.3% male) with a mean age of 43.67 years were studied.
• Significant improvement in mean post-operative pure tone average (33.75 dB) compared to pre-operative (56.54 dB) (P=0.000).
• Patient age correlated significantly with post-operative pure tone average (P=0.023), while disease duration did not (P=0.870).

Conclusions:

• Primary stapedotomy is an effective procedure for improving short-term hearing in adults with otosclerosis.
• Post-operative hearing outcomes are influenced by patient age.
• Disease duration does not significantly affect post-operative hearing results.