Bone conduction after stapes surgery: comparison of CO2 laser and manual perforation.

OBJECTIVE

To compare bone conduction after 2 different ways of perforating the stapes footplate during stapedotomy in patients with otosclerosis.

STUDY DESIGN

Retrospective clinical study.

SETTING

Tertiary reference center.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This study evaluated data from 302 patients (61.2% women) who had undergone primary surgery for stapedial ankylosis between 2000 and 2010. Bone conduction thresholds at 0.5, 1, 2, and 4 kHz were determined on the first and fourth postoperative days in all patients; 280 patients were followed up after 1 month and 125 after 1 year. Audiograms were compared with preoperative bone conduction.A laser was used to open the stapes footplate in 180 patients; manual perforation was performed in 122.

RESULTS

Immediately postoperatively the bone conduction threshold was significantly worse at almost all frequencies. At lower frequencies (0.5 and 1 kHz), it improved to baseline within the first 4 days. At 2 kHz, the threshold on Day 4 remained significantly worse than baseline and improved only after 1 month, then exceeding the preoperative value. Bone conduction at 4 kHz still tended to be worse than baseline 1 month after surgery, but the difference was no longer statistically significant 1 year later. A direct comparison with classic stapedotomy showed a trend in favor of the laser technique, but the difference was not statistically significant.

CONCLUSION

Both laser and classic techniques can be used successfully in stapes surgery without causing long-term damage to the inner ear. Direct comparison shows a trend in favor of laser stapedotomy.