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Short- and long-term results of stapedectomy in children
W H Lippy1, J M Burkey, A G Schuring
1Warren Otologic Group, Ohio, USA.
Insights
Stapedectomy surgery effectively corrects conductive hearing loss in children with juvenile otosclerosis. Long-term follow-up shows sustained hearing improvement, with minimal worsening over time.
Area of Science:
- Otolaryngology
- Pediatric Otology
- Audiology
Background:
- Juvenile otosclerosis is a rare cause of conductive hearing loss in children.
- Limited outcome data exist for stapedectomy in pediatric populations due to rarity and preference for hearing aids.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide additional short-term and long-term outcome data for stapedectomy in children with juvenile otosclerosis.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 47 children who underwent stapedectomy.
- Comparison of preoperative hearing with 6-month and long-term (≥5 years) postoperative hearing results.
Main Results:
- Stapedectomy achieved success in 91.7% of cases, with a mean hearing improvement of 32.8 dB PTA.
- Long-term follow-up (21 children) revealed an average worsening of 0.7 dB/year from the 6-month postoperative PTA.
Conclusions:
- Stapedectomy is an effective surgical intervention for conductive hearing loss in children with juvenile otosclerosis.
- The procedure offers significant short-term hearing gains with acceptable long-term stability.
Abstract:
Studies have indicated that stapedectomy can be an effective procedure in children for correcting conductive hearing losses due to juvenile otosclerosis. However, because childhood otosclerosis is rare and children commonly choose to use hearing aids in lieu of undergoing surgery, little outcome data are available. The purpose of this retrospective study was to provide additional outcome data in both the short and the long term. Stapedectomies were performed on 47 children. Preoperative hearing results were compared with 6-month postoperative hearing results. Hearing results for the children who had long-term follow-up (5 years or more) were compared with the 6-month postoperative results. Stapedectomy was successful (postoperative air conduction pure-tone average [PTA] within 10 dB of the preoperative bone conduction PTA) in 91.7% of the cases. The mean overclosure of the preoperative bone conduction PTA by the postoperative air conduction PTA was 0.2 dB. The mean PTA hearing improvement was 32.8 dB. Results from the 21 children (28 ears) who had long-term follow-up indicated an average 0.7 dB/year PTA worsening from the 6-month postoperative PTA. Results from this study provide additional evidence that stapedectomy can be an effective procedure for correcting conductive hearing losses due to juvenile otosclerosis.