Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 30, 2026

Use of the Soft-agar Overlay Technique to Screen for Bacterially Produced Inhibitory Compounds
Published on: January 14, 2017
Outcomes of transmastoid resurfacing for superior canal dehiscence using a cartilage overlay technique
Ayham Al Afif1, Robert Farmer2, Manohar Bance3
1Division of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Department of Surgery, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Objective:
Superior semicircular canal dehiscence is a well-described syndrome with potentially debilitating symptoms. We report on the audiologic and long-term symptom outcomes of 10 patients (12 ears) undergoing a cartilage overlay transmastoid resurfacing technique.
Methods:
Retrospective chart review and cross-sectional outcomes recall survey were used. A mailed questionnaire quantifying the effect of surgery on symptom severity and patient satisfaction were used. Nonlinear regression curves of pre-/postoperative air and bone pure-tone audiometric data were used to evaluate postoperative changes in hearing. Surgical failure was defined as requiring revision surgery, and rates were estimated over time using a Kaplan-Meier analysis.
Results:
Most patients reported improved symptoms postoperatively and were satisfied overall with the surgical outcomes. However, four of 12 ears (33%) had a second (revision) surgery before achieving these results. Postoperatively, hearing through air and bone conduction tended to decrease at frequencies greater than 2500 Hz. The chance of avoiding a re-operation at 36 months (and up to 120 months) was estimated to be 57.1% (95% confidence interval [confidence interval]: 100%, 32.6%). The most common surgical complication was intraoperative cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak, encountered exclusively during dural elevation, seen in four of 12 ears (33%).
Conclusion:
Although subjectively successful at reducing symptoms, in our small sample this surgical approach did not provide a long-term stable repair and was frequently associated with intraoperative CSF leak. Offering transmastoid resurfacing to patients should involve a detailed discussion on the potential for revision surgery and risks of diminished hearing and CSF leak.
Level Of Evidence:
4 Laryngoscope, 129:2164-2169, 2019.
Related Concept Videos
Predicting Reaction Outcomes
Outcomes of Glycolysis
Cellular respiration can occur aerobically (with oxygen) or anaerobically (without oxygen). In the presence of oxygen, cellular respiration starts with glycolysis and continues with pyruvate...
Guidelines for Writing Outcome
Patient outcomes reflect the patient's response to the goal rather than what the nurse aims to achieve. Terminology should be observable and measurable to avoid the reader's interpretation. The desired outcome should be realistic and achievable in the designated care timeframe. Expected outcomes should align with adjunctive therapies. The outcome should enhance care...
Cranial Bones: Superior and Posterior View
The frontal bone is the single bone that forms the forehead. At its anterior midline, between the eyebrows, there is a slight depression called the glabella. The frontal bone also forms the supraorbital margin of the orbit. Near the middle of this margin is the supraorbital foramen, the opening that provides passage for a sensory nerve to the forehead. The frontal bone is thickened just above each supraorbital margin,...
Growth of Cartilage and Bone Tissue
Overview of Microscopy Techniques

