Strunk C L, Quinn F B, Bailey B J
Department of Otolaryngology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston 77550.
Laryngoscope. 1992 Feb;102(2):121-4. doi: 10.1288/00005537-199202000-00003.
The KTP-532 laser has decreased the technical difficulty involved in teaching and performing a stapedectomy in our residency program. Use of this laser has resulted in improved hearing and a decreased number of major and minor complications compared to an equal number of large fenestra stapedectomies performed with hand-held instruments. The major disadvantages of the KTP-532 laser are its cost and limited availability, and the inconvenience of a micromanipulator. The laser should not be relied upon entirely in performing a stapedotomy on a thick footplate. The University of Texas Medical Branch experience in training residents in both large and small fenestra stapedectomy is reported.
