The fate of the non-operated ear in otosclerosis

Records of 300 consecutive patients who had only one ear operated on by stapedectomy and who received long-term followup were studied. These cases came from 3036 stapedectomy operations performed between January 1961 and April 1969. In general, the two ears behaved the same: if a "flat" sensorineural loss occurred in one ear, it was likely to develop in the other. Similarly, if one ear developed a high-tone loss, the other would do likewise. With the exception of acute fistula, there is no suggestion that the operation of stapedectomy predisposes an ear to late sensorineural problems. Patients with bone-conduction thresholds that are depressed at all frequencies when first examined should be advised that progressive sensorineural hearing loss may occur later in both ears. Accordingly, the benefit gained by stapedectomy may ultimately need to be supplemented by hearing aids. This study also revealed that a patient with clinical conductive otosclerosis in only one ear at first presentation had only a 50% chance of long-term benefit from stapedectomy.