Audiometric Outcomes Following Endoscopic Ossicular Chain Reconstruction

Area of Science:

• Otolaryngology
• Surgical Innovation
• Audiology

Background:

• Ossicular chain discontinuity can lead to significant hearing loss.
• Traditional microscopic ossicular chain reconstruction (OCR) is a well-established surgical technique.
• Advancements in endoscopic technology offer potential for minimally invasive surgical alternatives.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate and compare the audiometric outcomes of endoscopic ossicular chain reconstruction (OCR) versus traditional microscopic OCR.
• To assess the efficacy of endoscopic OCR in restoring hearing in patients with ossicular discontinuity.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective case series involving sixty-two ears with ossicular discontinuity.
• Patients underwent either endoscopic or microscopic ossicular chain reconstruction (OCR).
• Audiometric outcomes including bone and air pure-tone averages (PTA), air-bone gap (ABG), and word recognition scores (WRS) were analyzed.

Main Results:

• Sixty-two ears were analyzed, with 31 undergoing endoscopic OCR and 31 microscopic OCR.
• No significant postoperative differences in bone PTA, air PTA, and ABG were observed between the endoscopic and microscopic approaches, controlling for prosthesis type.
• Audiometric outcomes were comparable between primary and staged ossicular reconstructions, as well as between different prosthesis types (TORP and PORP).

Conclusions:

• Endoscopic ossicular chain reconstruction (OCR) yields similar audiometric outcomes compared to microscopic OCR.
• The choice between endoscopic and microscopic approaches does not significantly impact hearing results for ossicular chain reconstruction.
• Endoscopic OCR represents a viable alternative to microscopic OCR for managing ossicular discontinuity.