Revision stapes surgery after otosclerosis

Introduction: Otosclerosis is a multifactorial disease, characterized by growth of abnormally changed bone in the otic capsule. The primary stapedotomy is an effective treatment of conductive hearing loss with a success rate of 72–94%. The aim of the study was to determine the success of revision surgery depending on the type of primary surgery and an overview of perioperative findings in connection with probable primary failure. Methods: 38 revisions indicated for otosclerosis after stapes surgery in 2001–2015 were included in the retrospective study. Air and bone conductive thresholds, pure tone average (PTA), air-bone gap (ABG) at 500–2,000 Hz, as well as speech recognition threshold (SRT) were evaluated, and results were compared preoperatively and postoperatively. Results: ABG closure under 20 dB was achieved in 30 (78.9%) out of 38 patients with an average improvement in postoperative PTA of 15 dB. Twenty-three patients (61.5%) had SRT improved after surgery by more than 10 dB, but only 13 improved by more than 20 dB. After dividing the group according to previous performance, ABG closure to 20 dB was achieved in 100% revisions after previous stapedectomy with Schuknecht prosthesis (N = 12); in 69.6% (17 cases), revisions after stapedotomy were done with piston insertion (N = 24). Five patients (20.8%) had slightly impaired hearing postoperatively. The most common perioperative finding was a dislocated prosthesis in 12 cases (25.5%) and adhesions of the long process of the incus (DVK) with fixation to the middle ear cavity in 6 cases (12.8%). DVK erosion was present in 5 patients (10.6%). Conclusion: Success of revision surgery depends on the type of previous performance. Due to the difficulty, reduced success rate, and increased risks of surgery, it should be performed by an experienced surgeon. Keywords: revision – stapes surgery – stapedotomy – stapedectomy – stapes prosthesis – otosclerosis