Analysis of long-term hearing after tympanosclerosis with total/partial stapedectomy and prosthesis used

Abstract

Conclusion. Long-term hearing gain results are good after prosthetic reconstruction of the stapes in the tympanosclerotic ear. The type of stapedectomy, whether partial or total, does not affect the result of the surgery very much. Objectives. Comparative evaluation of the hearing results of total/partial stapedectomy technique and the prosthesis used within a 10-year follow-up period after stapedectomy in cases with dense tympanosclerosis and completely fixed stapes. Patients and methods. Twenty-five cases with completely fixed stapes due to generalized tympanosclerosis were included in this retrospective study between 1995 and 2005. Two-stage canal wall up procedure was planned for all cases, and stapedectomy was performed at the second stage. After the second stage, 25 ears in the sixth month, 18 ears in the first year, 14 ears in the second year, and 7 ears in the tenth year were available for follow-up. Preoperative and postoperative air–bone gap values of the patients and their hearing gain were compared. Total stapedectomy was carried out in 17 of the patients and partial stapedectomy in 8 of them. For ossiculoplasty, a plastipore total ossicular replacement prosthesis was used in 17 patients, homograft ossicle in 2 patients, and Teflon piston in 6 patients. Results. In 17 cases in which we used total stapedectomy, the average preoperative air–bone gap value improved from 40.23 to 18.47 in the sixth month, and from 38.4 dB to 9.6 dB in the tenth year. In eight cases in which we used partial stapedectomy, the average preoperative air–bone gap improved from 38.63 dB to 24.38 dB and from 35 dB to 17 dB, respectively. The average postoperative hearing gain with total stapedectomy was 21.76 dB in the sixth month and 28.8 dB in the tenth year. Hearing gain with partial stapedectomy was successively 14.25 dB and 18 dB. When we compared the results of total prosthesis and Teflon pistons among the materials used in ossiculoplasty, although hearing gain with total prostheses was better, the results were not statistically significant.