Hearing improvement after stapedotomy using teflon loop prosthesis.

OBJECTIVE: To assess hearing improvement after stapedotomy for otosclerosis using teflon loop prosthesis.

DESIGN: Quasy experimental study.

PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY: January 2001 to May 2003 in the Otorhinolaryngology Department, CMH, Rawalpindi.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: Thirty diagnosed cases of otosclerosis were included in the study. Ear with greater air-bone gap was selected and stapedotomy was done using teflon loop prosthesis (size 4 - 4.5 mm). Mild vertigo occurred during immediate postoperative period, which subsided with Inj. Prochlorperazine. Patients were followed-up postsurgically at one month, two months, four months, six months and one year and postoperative air-bone gap was calculated.

RESULTS: Out of 30 cases, there were 24 males and 06 females. The age ranged from 18 to 50 years. Twenty-one (70%) patients had bilateral hearing loss and 09 (30%) had tinnitis also. Pre-operative audiograms showed conductive deafness. Carhart's notch was present in 10 (33.3%) cases. Tympanogram revealed loss of stapedial reflex. Postoperatively good hearing improvement was seen in 56.7% (postoperative air-bone gap closure upto 10 dB), fair improvement in 30% (postoperative air bone gap closure from 11 to 20 dB) and poor results in 10% (postoperative air-bone gap more than 21 dB) cases. One patient developed dead ear.

CONCLUSION: Stapedotomy using teflon loop prosthesis for otosclerosis is an effective method to restore hearing. Complications are uncommon.