Stapes surgery ear to restore hearing
Written by:Stapedectomy-estapedotomía is a surgical procedure aimed at correcting the defect hearing created by the otosclerosis, a disease of hereditary origin that affects the stapes, ie, the last of the middle ear bones, fixing and preventing the sound is transmitted .
Procedure estapedectomía-estapedotomía
The operation consists of replacing the stirrup with a prosthesis, facilitating the transmission of sound, can restore hearing loss. The intervention will be a estapedectomía when the stirrup is completely replaced, while it will be a estapedotomía when you replace only part of the stirrup.
In any case, this surgery is done is done by the specialist in Otolaryngology through the ear canal without visible external incisions under local anesthesia and deep sedation, and with the help of a surgical microscope. It is important to clarify that the intervention is aimed exclusively restore hearing and no influence on the evolution of hearing noises, if they existed previously.
Risks and consequences of the procedure
The intervention carries the risk of complete and irreversible loss of all hearing the affected side only between 0.5% and 1% of cases.
However, 85% - 90% of cases can retrieve all related hearing loss by default transmission. The other cases may have recoveries or partial loss of hearing level.
Tinnitus often remain as they were, although in some cases may worsen, and also improve or disappear, unable to predict in advance what the outcome in each case.
Also 1 in 10 patients may suffer vertigo after operation. Some of them may have instability or dizziness from prolonged head movement.
During the intervention, the section of the chorda tympani, a small nerve may be necessary that crosses the ear. The patient may have altered sense of taste for a while accordingly.
Finally, the complete or partial removal of the stapes may cause the ear loses its defense mechanism against loud noises, so the patient may feel algiacusia, discomfort with loud noises, until it is corrected with time.
therapeutic alternatives
The patient has the option of leaving the ear to its natural evolution, which involves a progressive loss of hearing in front of the inner ear considerably. You can also adjust a hearing aid that allows you to effect an apparent recovery of hearing, although the disease also continues.
It can be operated with the alternative restore hearing without the use of amplification devices; intervention usually stops the progression of the disease.
