title: Otosclerosis and stapedoplasty in older adults.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the efficacy of stapedoplasty in patients aged 60 and older, based on audiometric data and a questionnaire about quality of life.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective (1994-2000) study.
  
  
  METHODS
  People living in southern and central Italy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-three patients: 32 consecutive patients aged 60 and older (group 1) and 31 consecutive patients younger than 60 (group 2).
  
  
  METHODS
  In each patient, we evaluated the pre- and postoperative auditory thresholds. Each patient answered a questionnaire about postoperative quality of life.
  
  
  RESULTS
  When comparing the pre- and postoperative air conduction thresholds and air-bone gap in the patients aged 60 and older, a statistically significant (P <.001) improvement at each frequency was observed. When elaborating the answers to the questionnaire about postoperative quality of life, we noticed that the older patients experienced a greater improvement.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results show that stapedoplasty offers greater improvement in quality of life for selected adults aged 60 and older than for younger adults. The operation also appears to be as safe for adults aged 60 and older as for younger adults. Stapedoplasty provides subjects with satisfactory social hearing level (hearing capacity sufficient for normal social relations) and slows the progression of otosclerosis. Providing older patients with good auditory functionality improves their state of health, quality of life, and cognitive processes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, University School of Medicine, Rome, Italy. f.salvinelli@unicampus.it
authors.forename: Fabrizio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Salvinelli
authors.forename: Manuele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Casale
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Trivelli
authors.forename: Valerio
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Di Peco
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Greco
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001299:Audiometry; D001309:Auditory Threshold; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010040:Otosclerosis / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D011788:Quality of Life; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013201:Stapes Surgery; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome