Use of the excimer laser in stapes surgery and ossiculoplasty of middle ear ossicles: preliminary report of an experimental approach.

Surgery of the stapes may cause a number of complications, including hearing deficits and balance disorders. This has made it necessary to look for improved techniques. Small-fenestra stapedotomy has recently been popularized. Lasers have been advocated for use in fenestrating the stapes footplate. On the other hand, sculpting the middle ear ossicles during tympanoplasty is often necessary for the reconstruction of the ossicular chain and the improvement of sound conduction. Using an excimer laser with a wavelength of 193 nm, fenestrations of the footplate and ossicular sculpting were performed on ossicles obtained during ear surgery and from human cadaver temporal bones. The results indicate that the excimer laser can be used effectively and accurately on an experimental basis and that further research is needed before this method can be used for clinical purposes.