FINDINGS AND RESULTS IN STAPES REVISIONS

Findings and Results in Stapesrevisions: By correlating the intraopera tive findings and the postoperative hearing gain it was attempted to d etermine the recommandable intraoperative management in stapesrevision s in order to obtain the best postoperative hearing. In a retrospectiv e study the findings of 39 stapes revision operations were analyzed. I n most of the cases hearing one year postoperatively was compared with preoperative hearing. The prognosis for good hearing was best followi ng replacement of the prosthesis where the prosthesis was too short or dislocated, or in the presence of a loosened wire. Where treatment on ly entailed retightening the loosened wire at the long process of the incus, postoperative hearing did not improve. Patients with an obliter ative otosclerosis or an additional fixed incus had a less favorable p rognosis. Overall a postoperative air bone gap of 10 dB or below was o btained in 44% of the patients and a postoperative air bone gap of 20 dB or below in 77% of the patients. Twenty-one percent of the patients remained unchanged, and in one patient postoperative deterioration of the hearing was detected.