title: Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss after Orthopedic Surgery under Combined Spinal and Epidural Anesthesia.
abstract: Postoperative hearing loss following nonotologic surgery is rare. For patients undergoing subarachnoid anesthesia, the loss of cerebral spinal fluid and hence the drop in intracranial pressure can result in hearing loss and cranial nerve palsy. We report a case in which a patient sustained orthopedic surgery under combined spinal and epidural anesthesia complicated by severe and persistent sensorineural hearing loss. This report is a reminder that postoperative sudden sensorineural hearing loss is a poorly understood complication. A high index of suspicion is required for early diagnosis of this complication, although prompt treatment does not guarantee a good outcome.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology & Head-Neck Surgery, Hospital Pedro Hispano, 4464-513 Matosinhos, Portugal.
authors.forename: Ditza
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vilhena
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Hospital São João, Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: Luís
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology & Head-Neck Surgery, Hospital Pedro Hispano, 4464-513 Matosinhos, Portugal.
authors.forename: Delfim
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Duarte
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology & Head-Neck Surgery, Hospital Pedro Hispano, 4464-513 Matosinhos, Portugal.
authors.forename: Nuno
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Oliveira