title: Endolymphatic sac surgery for Meniére's disease. A cumulative study of twelve years' experience.
abstract: This paper analyzes a total of 861 endolymphatic-mastoid shunt procedures (ELS) during 12 years. The review of long-term results following surgery for patients with intractable Meniére's disease indicates that ELS often provides temporary remission of severe disabling symptoms. Overall results, according to AAOO criteria, showed long-term vertigo control in 71.90% of cases. Using AAO-HNS guidelines, vertigo was completely or substantially controlled in 85.89% of the cases. In addition, hearing gains were frequently sustained and hearing deterioration often prevented over the years. A positive dehydration test and/or fluctuating hearing indicate a greater likelihood of hearing improvement after surgery. Furthermore, these findings augment our previous studies that comparable results can be obtained regardless of method employed. Thus, ELS is still indicated as a primary choice of surgical treatment when surgery is mandatory. Finally, there seem to be chronological peaks of recurrence of symptoms at about 2 years and again at 6 or more years after ELS. This not only accentuates the efficacy of revision surgery, but opens new areas of investigation into the underlying etiology of this elusive disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Chang Gung Medical College, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China.
authors.forename: T S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: C C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Y L
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Chang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001299:Audiometry; D004712:Endolymphatic Sac / Q000601:surgery*; D004713:Endolymphatic Shunt; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006311:Hearing Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008575:Meniere Disease / Q000601:surgery*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011182:Postoperative Care; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D013067:Speech Perception