Audiological Outcome of Endoscopic Stapedotomy in Nepalese population.

Abstract

Background Otosclerosis is a complex disease of otic capsule that mainly affects the stapes footplate causing conductive hearing loss, sometimes mixed hearing loss. Microscope stapes surgery was used traditionally but endoscopic stapedectomy has ushered a new revelation. Objective To report the audiological outcome of solely endoscopic trans canal stapedotomy surgery for otosclerosis in Nepalese population. Method This retrospective case series study analysed pre and post operative pure tone average of air conduction (AC) and bone conduction (BC) threshold and air bone gap (ABG) at 0.5, 1, 2 and 4 kHz. Postoperative ABG ≤ 10 dBHL (decibels hearing level) and ABG ≤ 20 dBHL was used to consider surgical success and improvement respectively. Paired t-test was used to test the significance of the audiological outcome of the study group pre and post operatively. Result The study included 9 patients, 10 operated ears with male to female ratio of 1:2. Mean age was 37.60 ± 9.28 years and mean postoperative air bone gap was 19.00 (± 5.89) and gain in air bone gap 18.75 (± 8.70) which was found to be statistically significant (p < 0.000). Audiological outcome in each of the four frequencies, 500 Hz, 1000 Hz, 2000 Hz and 4000 Hz was also found to be statistically significant. Conclusion This limited series study concludes that because of its favourable audiological gain and closure of the air bone gap postoperatively and better intraoperative view, it can uplift other surgeons to choose this as preferred technique.