title: Flexible Fiber Optic Carbon-Dioxide Laser Assisted Stapedotomy in Otosclerosis.
abstract: Objective. The aim of this study is to analyze the hearing and vestibular outcome of patients with otosclerosis who have been operated on by fiber optic flexible CO2laser.Study Design. A preliminary and retrospective study was conducted in 30 patients with otosclerosis.Results. Comparative analysis of average air conduction thresholds (53.41 ± 11.81 dB versus 26.37 ± 11.04 dB) and air-bone gaps (34 ± 9.92 dB versus 12.03 ± 6.02 dB) before and after the surgery were statistically significant (<0.001). Air-bone gap closed within 10 dB or less in 50% of the cases and within 20 dB or less in 90% of the cases. Average bone conduction threshold after the surgery (16.68 ± 12.00 dB) was better than that before the surgery (20.13 ± 8.59). However, no statistically significant difference was found (p= 0.213). One patient had tinnitus after surgery. None of the patients had severe sickness or vomiting due to surgery. Eleven patients (36.6%) had very mild nystagmus beating toward the counter-lateral side. All patients were stable at 10 days after surgery.Conclusion. The results indicate that fiber optic flexible CO2laser provides the surgeon with a very safe and precise surgical instrumentation even in cases with extensive and obliterative otosclerosis.
authors.affiliation: Anadolu Medical Center, Department of ORL & HNS, 41400 Kocaeli, Turkey.
authors.forename: Sertac
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-1430-1026
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yetiser