Tympanosclerosis: long-term hearing results after ossicular reconstruction.
OBJECTIVE
The study goal was to analyze long-term hearing results and factors likely to affect outcome after ossicular reconstruction in patients with tympanosclerosis, particularly tympanosclerotic stapes fixation.


METHODS
We conducted a retrospective chart review of the past 10 years. The short- and long-term (up to 9(1/2) years) hearing results of first-stage and second-stage operations for middle ear tympanosclerosis in 203 consecutive patients, performed in a tertiary referral otologic private practice, are presented. There were 160 tympanoplasties and 43 tympanoplasties with mastoidectomy performed, with ossicular fixation secondary to tympanosclerosis in 135 cases. Of these 203, 42.9% were primary cases, with the majority being planned second-stage or revision procedures.


RESULTS
The average preoperative air-bone gap (ABG) was 30.9 dB. The average short-term postoperative ABG was 17.4 dB with closure of the ABG within 20 dB in 64.6%. The success rate (ABG < or = 20 dB) for patients with ossicular fixation was 65.3%. Partial sensorineural hearing loss occurred in 1.0% of the patients, and none experienced profound sensorineural hearing loss (dead ears). There was no statistically significant change from short-term to long-term follow-up in either ABG or air PTA, with mean differences of only 0.3 and 2.0 dB, respectively. The mean time to the last follow-up was 1.6 years.


CONCLUSIONS
Ossicular reconstruction in individuals with tympanosclerosis can yield satisfactory, lasting hearing results with a low incidence of complications and no dead ears.
Teufert
Karen Borne
KB
House Ear Institute and University of Southern California, School of Medicine, Los Angeles 90057, USA.
De La Cruz
Antonio
A
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001299:Audiometry; D002648:Child; D004429:Ear Ossicles / Q000601:surgery*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012598:Sclerosis; D013201:Stapes Surgery; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014432:Tympanic Membrane / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D014433:Tympanoplasty / Q000379:methods