Audiovestibular complications of non-otological surgery

Post-operative dizziness or imbalance is often regarded as 'trivial' and self-limiting and vaguely ascribed to the drugs used in anaesthesia or to haemodynamic changes. While hearing loss after anaesthesia has been documented in several studies, very little attention has been paid to a possible vestibular cause for post-operative dizziness. Twelve patients with post-operative vestibular disorders, with or without concomitant hearing loss, and one patient with tinnitus are described. As effective management for vestibular dysfunction exists, the importance of identifying this potential cause of dizziness is emphasized.