Result of Stapedectomy Performed in Our Clinic during 12 Years

Abstract

Twenty patients (24 ears) with clinical otosclerosis have been operated on using various methods in our clinic from 1979 to 1990. In 3 ears, stapedectomy was performed using gelfoam wire. Ten ears were operated on using tragal cartilage and 11 ears using a teflonpiston wire. The value of average air-conduction hearing threshold of 500-2000 Hz was 54.8 dB preoperatively. The postoperative average hearing thresholds were within 40 dB in 22 ears (91.7%). The postoperative air-bone gaps were less than 20 dB in 21 ears (87.5%)and were between 21-30 dB in 3 ears (12.5%). From another aspect of analysis, the postoperative air-bone gap was diminished 79.7% of the preoperative air-bone gap by the stapes surgery.
Among the three methods, the tragal cartilage group was less successful than the other two groups. Tinnitus was improved postoperatively in 6 ears (40%) out of 15 ears which had tinnitus preoperatively.