Technical and clinical aspects of 'one-shot' CO(2) laser stapedotomy.
OBJECTIVE
In order to further optimize the surgical technique with the CO(2) laser in stapes surgery, a scanner system was used to obtain a footplate perforation of 0.5-0.6mm with only one laser application ('one-shot' stapedotomy).


METHODS
240 patients with otosclerosis were submitted to a primary CO(2) laser stapedotomy with the SurgiTouch scanner. This study surveys the surgical technique and clinical results.


RESULTS
An adequately large perforation diameter could be achieved with a single shot in 68% of the patients treated with the SurgiTouch scanner. In 14% of the patients, a second laser application at the same site was necessary. In 18%, the perforation had to be enlarged by several slightly overlapping laser applications without scanner. The clinical data of this study clearly document that there is no evidence of laser-depending inner ear affections. The closure of the air-bone gap in our study is comparable to conventional stapes surgery.


CONCLUSIONS
The CO(2) laser combined with modern scanner systems is well suited for application in stapes surgery.
Jovanovic
S
S
ENT Department, Charité - University Medical Center, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Germany.
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001301:Audiometry, Pure-Tone; D001309:Auditory Threshold; D001844:Bone Conduction; D004867:Equipment Design; D004869:Equipment Safety; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D053685:Laser Therapy / Q000295:instrumentation*; D008297:Male; D008866:Microsurgery / Q000295:instrumentation; D008875:Middle Aged; D010040:Otosclerosis / Q000601:surgery*; D013201:Stapes Surgery / Q000295:instrumentation*; D013673:Technology Assessment, Biomedical