Rates of Sensorineural Hearing Loss and Revision Surgery After Stapedotomy: A Single-institution Experience Using the...

Area of Science:

• Otolaryngology
• Neurosurgery
• Audiology

Background:

• Historical stapedectomy complication rates are cited as 1% profound sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL), 5%-10% nonprofound SNHL, and 5%-10% revision surgery.
• These historical figures may not reflect outcomes with current surgical techniques.

Purpose of the Study:

• To reassess post-stapedotomy complication rates using contemporary surgical techniques.
• To evaluate hearing loss, revision surgery rates, and other complications in a modern cohort.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective case series of adult patients undergoing stapedotomy from 2013-2020 at an academic tertiary referral center.
• Primary outcomes included hearing loss and revision surgery rates.
• Secondary outcomes assessed were dizziness, tinnitus, dysgeusia, and air-bone gap (ABG) closure.

Main Results:

• One patient (0.21%) experienced profound SNHL; 15 (3.20%) experienced nonprofound SNHL.
• The revision rate was 4.49% (21 surgeries).
• 59.19% achieved ABG closure within 10 dB; 28.21% achieved closure between 10-20 dB. Postoperative dizziness, tinnitus, and dysgeusia were reported by 17.74%, 3.63%, and 4.70% of patients, respectively.

Conclusions:

• Modern stapedotomy techniques demonstrate substantially lower rates of SNHL and complications than previously reported.
• These findings suggest that contemporary surgical practices yield improved safety and efficacy profiles for stapedotomy.
• Updated complication data are essential for informed patient counseling regarding stapedotomy outcomes.