Effectiveness of Stapedotomy with Inversion of Surgical Timing in the Treatment of Otosclerosis: Short-Term Results of a Prospective Study

Over the last 30 years, stapes surgery has undergone notable changes, evolving from an initial stapedectomy operation to the more current stapedotomy and stapedotomy with reversed times. The aim of the study was to demonstrate how, through the choice of a reversed stapedotomy procedure, it is possible to improve the quality of life of patients suffering from otosclerosis, in terms of improvement of auditory perception and the more objective audiometric examination. The study analyzed patients operated on from December 2014 to March 2016, for a total of 81 operations (m25 f56). For each patient we researched the audiometric tests carried out the day before the operation and three weeks after. In the evaluation of each exam, analyzing the frequencies of 500-1000-2000 Hz, we calculated the average value of the VA and the ABG and, by comparing the pre-operative values ​​with the post-operative ones, the gain or each patient’s hearing loss. Finally, the 81 cases were divided into 4 classes based on the pre-operative air bone gap values.

The study carried out, in accordance with the data present in the literature, demonstrates that the reversed time technique guarantees an excellent improvement of the air bone gap. It also highlights how there is uniformity in hearing recovery for classes A, B and C quantifiable with an average improvement of 64.08% of the starting gap. As regards class D, due to the worse starting situation, a smaller decrease in the gap is calculated at around 52.05%.