Transient evoked and distortion product otoacoustic emissions following successful stapes surgery.
BACKGROUND
The effect of stapes surgery on the recording of otoacoustic emissions is unknown. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the success of stapes surgery by using acoustically evoked otoacoustic emissions as an objective and fast method for postoperative hearing evaluation.


METHODS
Transient evoked (TEOAE) and distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAE) were measured consecutively in otosclerosis patients before as well as 3 and 6 months after stapes surgery.


RESULTS
Air-bone gaps in the pure-tone audiograms were significantly reduced in all patients. TEOAEs and DPOAEs were not measurable preoperatively and were only evident in one patient postoperatively with low amplitudes in a narrow frequency range.


CONCLUSIONS
Despite a subjective hearing improvement and a significant reduction of the conductive loss, otoacoustic emissions are only rarely evident after successful stapes surgery.
Herzog
M
M
Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Bayerische Julius-Maximilians-Universität, Josef-Schneider-Strasse 11, D-97080 Würzburg, Germany.
Shehata-Dieler
W E
WE
Dieler
R
R
D000158:Acoustic Impedance Tests; D000328:Adult; D001301:Audiometry, Pure-Tone; D001309:Auditory Threshold / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006314:Hearing Loss, Conductive / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017084:Otoacoustic Emissions, Spontaneous / Q000502:physiology*; D010040:Otosclerosis / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery; D011182:Postoperative Care; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013201:Stapes Surgery / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome