title: Combined retrosigmoid retrolabyrinthine vestibular nerve section: results of our experience over 10 years.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We aimed to evaluate the results of our experience in vestibular nerve sectioning (VN), which was performed using combined retrosigmoid-retrolabyrinthine approach.
  
  
  METHODS
  Medical records of 280 patients who were consecutively operated on for incapacitating peripheral vertigo were retrospectively evaluated, and 210 patients who completed 2 years follow-up and had adequate follow-up data were found to be suitable for inclusion in the study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Hearing results, vertigo control rates, and complications of the retrosigmoid-retrolabyrinthine VN were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The patients were suffering from vertigo for a mean period of 32.2 months. Bilateral Meniere's disease occurred in 5.7% of the patients in the follow-up period. A complete or substantial vertigo control could be achieved in 94.4% of the patients (191 [90.1%] in Class A and 9 [4.3%] in Class B). Preoperative speech reception threshold, pure-tone average, and speech discrimination score of the patients were 56.5 dB, 47.4 dB, and 73.6%, respectively. Postoperative corresponding values were 62.2 dB, 43.4 dB, and 68.5%, respectively (p > 0.05). The complication rate was low (2.5%). Most common complication was abdominal hematoma, which was seen in 4.5%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  VN performed using retrosigmoid-retrolabyrinthine approach has low complication and high vertigo control and hearing preservation rates. It can be applied as an initial surgery or reserved as the last step when the other surgical treatments have failed to control vertigo.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Faculty of Medicine, Gazi University, Besevler, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Nebil
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Goksu
authors.forename: Metin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yilmaz
authors.forename: Ismet
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bayramoglu
authors.forename: Yildirim A
authors.initials: YA
authors.lastname: Bayazit
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001301:Audiometry, Pure-Tone; D003392:Cranial Sinuses; D007758:Ear, Inner; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008575:Meniere Disease / Q000209:etiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D019635:Neurosurgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects; D013506:Otologic Surgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013063:Speech Discrimination Tests; D013069:Speech Reception Threshold Test; D014717:Vertigo / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D014725:Vestibular Nerve / Q000601:surgery*