Effects of Piezosurgery on the cochlear outer hair cells.
CONCLUSIONS
The absence of audiologic side effects highlights the reduced trauma of the piezoelectric cut, demonstrates the superiority of the Piezosurgery device in terms of safety and protection of anatomical structures and confirms its applicability in all the otologic techniques tested.


OBJECTIVE
The aim of the present study was to estimate the effect of Piezosurgery on the cochlea and in particular on the cochlear outer hair cells.


METHODS
We selected 60 patients with a history of otologic surgery with Piezosurgery. Before and 6 months after surgery, all the patients underwent the following instrumental examinations: pure-tone audiometry, tympanometry, transient evoked otoacoustic emissions (TEOAEs), distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) and auditory brainstem response (ABR).


RESULTS
Piezosurgery showed its safety on the inner ear and in particular on the cochlear outer hair cells: for each instrumental examination (pure-tone audiometry, tympanometry, TEOAE, DPOAEs and ABR), no patients presented postoperative worsening.
Salami
Angelo
A
ENT Department, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy.
Dellepiane
Massimo
M
Ralli
Giovanni
G
Crippa
Barbara
B
Mora
Renzo
R
D000158:Acoustic Impedance Tests; D000328:Adult; D001301:Audiometry, Pure-Tone; D018424:Cholesteatoma, Middle Ear / Q000601:surgery; D004427:Ear Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D004428:Ear Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D018072:Hair Cells, Auditory, Outer; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009925:Organ of Corti / Q000601:surgery*; D013506:Otologic Surgical Procedures / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014433:Tympanoplasty / Q000379:methods