Vestibulotomy above a severely displaced facial nerve.
CONCLUSIONS
Vestibulotomy above a severely displaced facial nerve represents a new surgical approach to achieve serviceable hearing. The lack of facial nerve injury and the potential for hearing restoration make this procedure feasible in patients who would otherwise be marginal or poor surgical candidates.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the feasibility of vestibulotomy above a severely displaced facial nerve.


METHODS
Eight patients with severe congenital conductive hearing loss underwent vestibulotomy above a severely displaced facial nerve and hearing reconstruction between January 2000 and January 2002. All patients had congenital middle ear deformities. The facial nerves overhung and concealed the oval window niche or lay inferior to the oval window. The facial nerves were transposed in order to reach the oval window niche in four of eight cases.


RESULTS
Hearing gain was 15 dB in 2 ears, 16-25 dB in 3 and > 26 dB in 3. There were no cases of postoperative facial paresis.
Han
Demin
D
Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital University of Medical Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
Zhao
Shouqin
S
Wang
Danni
D
Guo
Jizhou
J
Dai
Haijiang
H
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D004431:Ear, External / Q000002:abnormalities; D004432:Ear, Middle / Q000002:abnormalities*; D005154:Facial Nerve / Q000002:abnormalities*; D005260:Female; D006314:Hearing Loss, Conductive / Q000151:congenital* / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013506:Otologic Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods; D010046:Oval Window, Ear / Q000002:abnormalities; D014722:Vestibule, Labyrinth / Q000601:surgery*