Electrocoagulation improving bone cement use in middle-ear surgery: short-term and middle-term results

Area of Science:

• Otolaryngology
• Surgical Techniques
• Biomaterials

Background:

• Bone cement is crucial for ossicular chain repair and revision stapes surgery.
• Effective bone cement use necessitates careful removal of mucosa from ossicles.
• A novel technique for safe and efficient mucosa removal prior to bone cement application is presented.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and evaluate a technique for easy, fast, and safe removal of ossicular mucosa.
• To assess the efficacy of monopolar electrocoagulation in preparing ossicles for bone cement application.
• To determine the impact of this technique on hearing outcomes in ossicular reconstruction.

Main Methods:

• Monopolar electrocoagulation was applied to ossicles before bone cement application.
• The technique was used in six revision stapes surgery and seven partial ossiculoplasty cases.
• Intra-operative reports and audiometric data were collected for evaluation.

Main Results:

• Mean post-operative air-bone gaps were 4.1 ± 6.5 dB for revision stapes surgery.
• Mean post-operative air-bone gaps were 5.7 ± 5.5 dB for partial ossiculoplasty.
• The technique resulted in significant hearing improvement (p = 0.03) with no observed complications.

Conclusions:

• Monopolar electrocoagulation provides an easy, fast, and safe method for ossicular mucosa removal.
• This technique enables the effective use of bone cement in ossicular chain reconstruction.
• The method contributes to successful hearing restoration in complex ear surgeries.