Abstract
The Kitahara endolymphatic sac operation was performed on 162 cases of Meniere's disease between 1968 and 1983. 140 of these cases were observed for periods of 24 months and upward to ascertain the effectiveness of this surgical procedure. Results were classified according to the AAOO (1972) and AAO-HNS (1985) criteria. According to the AAOO criteria, 78% of the cases showed an absence of definitive spells. According to the AAO-HNS criteria, 78% of the cases showed complete control of definitive spells, and the remaining 22% showed some degree of improvement. In 85% of the cases no hearing loss was observed.
These results suggest that the Kitahara endolymphatic sac operation is effective in the treatment of both frequent vertiginous attacks and bilateral Meniere's disease.
Problems with the criteria are also examined.
