Does endolymphatic sac decompression surgery prevent bilateral development of unilateral Ménière disease?

The aim of the study was to elucidate whether endolymphatic sac decompression surgery (ESDS) has the potential to prevent unilateral Ménière disease (MD) from becoming bilateral.

Prospective case-control study at tertiary referral center.

Between 1996 and 2008, we performed a glycerol test (G-test) and electrocochleography (ECoG) on 237 patients with intractable unilateral MD. We performed ESDS on 179 patients (144 with no endolymphatic hydrops and 35 with silent endolymphatic hydrops in the contralateral ear). The other 58 patients (40 without endolymphatic hydrops and 18 with silent endolymphatic hydrops in the contralateral ear) were given available medical treatments. All underwent regular follow-up for at least 5 years.

Altogether, 22.4% (53 of 237) of patients with clinically diagnosed unilateral intractable MD had silent endolymphatic hydrops in the contralateral ear using G-test and ECoG. In the nonsurgical group, six of 40 patients with unilateral MD with no endolymphatic hydrops in the contralateral ear developed bilateral disease, whereas in the surgical group 12 of 144 patients did so (P = .231, Fisher test). In the nonsurgical group, nine of 18 patients with unilateral MD and silent endolymphatic hydrops developed the disease in the contralateral ear, whereas in the surgical group six of 35 patients developed bilateral disease (P = .022, Fisher test).

The present findings suggest that ESDS may decrease the incidence of developing MD in silent endolymphatic hydronic contralateral ears diagnosed with G-test and ECoG within the first 5 postoperative years.