Comparison Between 2 Laser Systems, Er-Yag and CO2, in Stapes Surgery

Abstract

The aim of the study was to compare 2 laser systems, Er-Yag and CO2, in stapes surgery. The study design was retrospective. The study was conducted at an academic tertiary referral center. There were 88 women and 34 man in the analyzed group. The study was carried out on 142 ears: 52 on the right ear, 50 on the left ear, and 20 bilateral. Forty-seven ears underwent a CO2 laser-assisted stapedotomy, and 95 underwent Er-Yag-assisted stapedotomy; 23 left and 24 right ears were operated on using the CO2 laser. The Er-Yag laser was used in 48 right and 47 left ears. The follow-up time was at least 1 year. When the postoperative air-bone gap was compared with the preoperative air-bone gap for the 2 laser systems using the Student t test, as well as the Mann-Whitney U test, no statistical differences were found between the 2 groups, that is, with the use of Er-Yag and CO2 lasers. Also, no statistically significant differences were measured over all frequencies by the Student t test between preoperative and postoperative bone conduction in each group. To sum up, our observations have proven the usefulness of 2 laser systems: CO2 and Er-Yag lasers in stapes surgery. In both groups, a decrease in the hearing threshold was obtained.