Changes of taste perception after stapes surgery: a prospective cohort study

Area of Science:

• Otolaryngology
• Neuroscience
• Sensory Science

Background:

• Stapes surgery for otosclerosis aims to restore hearing but can impact taste perception due to proximity to the chorda tympani nerve.
• Preservation of the chorda tympani nerve (CTN) is standard practice, yet taste alterations remain a concern for patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate taste quality changes and recovery patterns after stapes surgery.
• To assess the impact of surgery on specific taste sensations and identify factors influencing recovery.

Main Methods:

• Prospective study involving 42 patients undergoing stapes surgery with CTN preservation.
• Taste function assessed using a questionnaire and taste strip test (TST) preoperatively, 3-5 days post-surgery, and 1 year after surgery.

Main Results:

• Early post-surgery, 34/42 patients showed reduced TST scores, with 7/42 reporting taste decrease via questionnaire.
• One year later, 11/42 still had lower TST scores, and 1/42 reported a questionnaire-verified taste decrease.
• Sweet, bitter, and salty tastes showed the most significant TST score reductions; sour taste was relatively less affected.
• Complete recovery of bitter taste was observed, with better recovery in patients under 45.

Conclusions:

• Taste alterations following stapes surgery are generally transient, with varying recovery rates for different taste qualities.
• Sour taste demonstrates relative resistance to surgical damage.
• Bitter taste exhibits the highest recovery rate, particularly in younger individuals (<45 years).