Unilateral sudden hearing loss after open heart surgery: a detailed study of seven cases

Seven of the 7000 patients who underwent cardiopulmonary bypass at Bellevue and University Hospitals between 1969 and 1978 developed sudden loss of hearing in one ear immediately after surgery. Four of the seven patients showed subsequent improvement in hearing but none recovered completely. None had vertigo. All were male. The most likely cause is particulate microemboli generated by cardiopulmonary bypass.