Study of the improvement in bone conduction threshold after stapedectomy

Area of Science:

• Otolaryngology
• Audiology
• Surgical Innovation

Background:

• Bone conduction depression can stem from middle ear issues like otosclerosis, not solely inner ear problems.
• Stapedectomy is a surgical intervention for otosclerosis, aiming to restore hearing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess bone conduction threshold improvements after stapedectomy in otosclerosis patients.
• To evaluate the audiological outcomes following stapedectomy for otosclerosis.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 95 otosclerosis patients (116 ears) with conductive or mixed hearing loss.
• Surgical intervention involved stapedectomy with complete footplate removal.
• Pre- and postoperative audiometry (1 month, 1 year) measured bone and air conduction at 500, 1000, 2000, and 4000 Hz.

Main Results:

• Achieved closure of air-bone gap (<10dB in 92.2%, <5dB in 79.3%).
• Average air conduction threshold improvement of 25dB.
• Significant bone conduction improvement at 1000Hz (6dB) and 2000Hz (12dB), leading to Carhart notch disappearance, sustained at 1 year.

Conclusions:

• Stapedectomy with total footplate removal significantly improves bone conduction at 1000 and 2000Hz in otosclerosis patients.
• The procedure effectively resolves the Carhart notch in audiograms for mixed hearing loss.
• Sustained audiological benefits confirm the efficacy of stapedectomy for otosclerosis.