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Sensorineural Hearing Loss After Balloon Eustachian Tube Dilatation
Ingo Todt1, Felix Oppel1, Holger Sudhoff1
1Medical School OWL, Bielefeld University, Klinikum Bielefeld Mitte, Bielefeld, Germany.
Frontiers in Surgery
|March 22, 2021
Summary
Balloon Eustachian Tube (BET) dilatation is a treatment for Eustachian tube dysfunction. This study found a low incidence of sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) following BET procedures, with most cases being temporary.
Area of Science:
- Otolaryngology
- Medical Devices
- Auditory Health
Background:
- Eustachian tube dysfunction impacts middle ear ventilation, potentially leading to chronic otitis media and cholesteatoma.
- Balloon Eustachian Tube (BET) dilatation is an established treatment for Eustachian tube dysfunction.
- The complication rate of BET, particularly sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL), requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the incidence of sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) following Balloon Eustachian Tube (BET) dilatation.
- To analyze the rate of permanent versus transient SNHL after BET procedures.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective chart review of 1,547 patients and 2,614 BET procedures.
- Procedures performed between 2015 and 2019 utilizing the Spiggle and Theis system.
- Analysis focused on identifying and categorizing cases of SNHL post-BET.
Main Results:
- Seven cases of SNHL were observed after BET, yielding an overall SNHL rate of 0.3% per procedure.
- Two cases of SNHL were permanent (0.08% rate), while five were transient.
- Two instances of SNHL occurred concurrently with tympanoplasty.
Conclusions:
- Balloon Eustachian Tube (BET) dilatation demonstrates a low incidence of associated sensorineural hearing loss.
- Rapid pressure fluctuations in the middle ear are hypothesized as the cause of BET-related hearing loss.
