Stapes Surgery Outcomes: The Practice of 35 Years

Objective: The objective of this study was to review patients who underwent stapes surgery in the Hacettepe University Ear Nose Throat and Head and Neck Surgery Department with subgroups, such as type of surgery, prosthesis used in the surgery, rate of revision, and audiological results.Methods: The data of 35 years were searched, and it was detected that 327 patients (190 females, 137 males) had undergone stapes surgery; the age was ranging between 11-70 years (mean: 39).In our clinic, stapes surgery is performed mostly by transmeatal incision. After entering the middle ear, we almost always look for stapes mobility. If there is mobility in the incus and malleus and no mobility in the stapes, a small fenestra is performed as stapedotomy and prosthesis and placed between the stapedotomy fenestra and incus long arm. To cover the space near the stapedotomy, small bony fragments are placed. In patients who had preoperative and postoperative audiograms, the mean value of 500, 1000, 2000, and 4000 Hz air-bone conduction thresholds of 199 cases were measured and compared.Results: In 62% of 327 patients who were operated on, the air-bone gap was less than 10 dB, less than 15 dB in 88%, and less than 20 dB in 94%. In 6% of patients, there was air-bone conduction gap of more than 20 dB. Revision surgery was performed in 20 patients. Of them, air-bone gap closure was achieved in 60%. One patient had sudden sensorineural hearing loss. There was also a perilymph fistula in one patient who had vertigo.Stapedotomy and using a Teflon piston with autogenous bone are successful methods of recovering conductive- type hearing loss in otosclerosis. In patients with advanced sensorineural hearing loss, a very low air-bone gap or unmeasured air-bone gap is not a contraindication.Conclusion: Stapes surgery (stapedectomy or stapedotomy) is a successful surgery in the case of conductive- type hearing loss with otosclerosis. Complications, such as total sensorineural hearing loss, facial nerve paralysis, and perilymph fistula, could be seen at variable rates, and the surgeon should be cautious, and the patients must be informed about these complications in the pre-operative period

Prognostic Factors in Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss

Background: Sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) is still a complex and challenging process which requires clinical evidence regarding its etiology, treatment and prognostic factors. Therefore, determination of prognostic factors might aid in the selection of proper treatment modality. Aims: The aim of this study is to analyze whether there is correlation between SSNHL outcomes and (1) systemic steroid therapy, (2) time gap between onset of symptoms and initiation of therapy and (3) audiological pattern of hearing loss. Study Design: Retrospective chart review. Methods: Patients diagnosed at our clinic with SSNHL between May 2005 and December 2011were reviewed. A detailed history of demographic features, side of hearing loss, previous SSNHL and/or ear surgery, recent upper respiratory tract infection, season of admission, duration of symptoms before admission and the presence of co-morbid diseases was obtained. Radiological and audiological evaluations were recorded and treatment protocol was assessed to determine whether systemic steroids were administered or not. Treatment started ≤5 days was regarded as “early” and >5 days as “delayed”. Initial audiological configurations were grouped as “upward sloping”, “downward sloping”, “flat” and “profound” hearing loss. Significant recovery was defined as thresholds improved to the same level with the unaffected ear or improved ≥30 dB on average. Slight recovery was hearing improvement between 10-30dB on average. Hearing recovery less than 10 dB was accepted as unchanged. Results: Among the 181 patients who met the inclusion criteria, systemic steroid was administered to 122 patients (67.4%), whereas 59 (32.6%) patients did not have steroids. It was found that steroid administration did not have any statistically significant effect in either recovered or unchanged hearing groups. Early treatment was achieved in 105 patients (58%) and 76 patients (42%) had delayed treatment. Recovery rates were no different in these two groups; however, when unchanged hearing rates were compared, it was statistically significantly lower in the early treatment group (p<0.05). When hearing outcomes were compared according to initial audiological pattern, significant recovery and unchanged hearing rates did not differ between groups; however, slight recovery rate was highest in the “flat” type audiological configuration (p<0.05). Conclusion: According to this patient series, oral steroid therapy does not have any influence on the outcomes of SSNHL. However, mid-frequency hearing loss of flat type and initiation of treatment earlier than 5 days from the onset of symptoms, seem to have positive prognostic effects. Further randomized controlled subject groups might contribute to determine prognostic factors of SSNHL

Electrophysiologic evaluation of facial nerve functions after oxaliplatin treatment

Purpose: This study analyzes the effect of oxaliplatin treatment on the facial nerve. The facial nerve is the most commonly paralyzed cranial motor nerve because it advances through a long, curved bone canal. Electroneurography and blink reflex are the electrophysiological measurements used for evaluating facial nerve function. Oxaliplatin is a cytotoxic agent used in adjuvant or palliative systemic therapy for colorectal cancer treatment. Methods: This study was performed on 20 individuals who were at least 18 years old at Hacettepe University Ear Nose Throat Department, Audiology and Speech Disorders Unit, and Neurology Division EMG Laboratory as they received oxaliplatin treatment from Hacettepe University Oncology Hospital. Electroneurography and blink-reflex values were recorded and examined. The parameters taken during the second and fourth months were compared for this purpose. Results: This study shows that the prolongation of distal latencies of compound muscle action potential is statistically significant, the amplitudes showed no difference. The ENoG results were analyzed, the prolongation of latency measurements between pre-treatment and the fourth month after treatment were statistically significant. The blink-reflex results showed that comparison with the baseline values, the prolongation of latencies in R1 measurements between pre-treatment, the second month, and the fourth month were significant. Conclusions: The facial nerve is affected asymptomatically by oxaliplatin treatment. During oxaliplatin treatment, the evaluation of facial nerve function could be beneficial for patients by improving their quality of life. Electroneurography and blink-reflex tests can be used in the early evaluations of different medicines to determine their neurotoxicity

Consensus statement: Long-term results of ABI in children with complex inner ear malformations and decision making between CI and ABI

7th IEEE Asia-Pacific Conference on Applied Electromagnetics, APACE 2016 -- 11 December 2016 through 13 December 2016 -- 127632‘Second Consensus Meeting on Management of Complex Inner Ear Malformations: Long Term Results of ABI in Children and Decision Making Between CI and ABI’ took place on 5–6 April 2013 in Kyrenia, Northern Cyprus with the participation of 20 centers from 11 countries. These centers presented their auditory brainstem implantation (ABI) experience in children and infants and also provided the selection criteria and cochlear implant (CI) results in patients with an abnormal cochlea and nerve. In addition, Cochlear and Med El companies provided presentations regarding solutions to problems during revision surgery and future projections of device technology. According to the results from different centers, it was evident that an ABI is capable of providing hearing sensation in prelingually deafened children with complex inner ear malformations and diseases. It is possible to obtain a pure tone average with an ABI between 30 and 60 dB HL in most of these patients. It has been observed that the majority of children obtain Categories of Auditory Performance (CAP) scores around 5, but occasionally certain ABI users obtained scores of up to CAP 8-II, NEAP-Nottingham Early Assessment Package. The Ear Foundation 2009). CAP scores tend to increase with earlier implantation, i.e. under 2 years of age. However, after 3 years of use, it usually reaches a plateau. Children with additional disorders cannot reach CAP scores of children without disorders. However, they obtain an improvement of cognitive functions but duration of ABI use and increasing chronological age also play a role in this improvement