Abstract
Twenty-two stapes surgeries which were performed as a primary operation from May 2000 to January 2006 were studied. They included otosclerosis (18 ears), tympano sclerosis (2 ears) and congenital stapedial fixation (2 ears). The stapes surgeries that were performed consisted of 18 stapedotomies, a partial stapedectomy in 1 ear and the mobilization of the stapes in 3 ears. The average follow-up period was 26.1 months after surgery. Twenty-one out of the 22 cases were followed up within 6 months or later. These cases were analyzed regarding their hearing improvement. The preoperative air conduction threshold, bone conduction threshold and air-bone gap were 56.1±15.0 dB (mean±S. D.), 22.1±9.8 dB, 34.0±12.6 dB, respec tively. The postoperative air conduction threshold, bone conduction threshold and air-bone gap were 28.6± 12.1dB, 17.9±10.6dB, 7.2±10.6dB, respectively. Therefore, the improvement in the air conduction thresh- old was 28.4±14.0dB. Two different criteria were used in order to define the cases as successful in terms of their hearing improvement. Both criteria indicated that 19 out of 21 ears (90.5%) were successful. We utilized a KTP laser to cut the superstructure of the stapes and to create a stapedotomy hole on a footplate in our stapes surgery, thereby decreasing the risk of insult to the inner ears.
