A NEW APPROACH TO SURGERY FOR MENIERES-DISEASE - TALKING ABOUT SURGERY

Many patients experience a remission of their Meniere's disease betwee n the time that surgery is agreed and their admission to hospital for the procedure. In a series of 23 consecutive patients where surgery ap peared to be indicated for control of the vertigo of Meniere's disease , 12 settled within 6-8 weeks of agreeing that something would be done , and thereby avoided any surgical procedure. It is suggested that the se patients may have been experiencing the same effect as provided by the conservative surgical procedures. In the absence of any clear evid ence for a specific surgical effect from ally conservative operation f or Meniere's disease, the authors put for-ward the suggestion that aba ndoning all the conservative procedures in favour of the protocol of p lanned surgery should be considered; wait for 2 months and, if the inc apacitating episodic dizziness continues, one should proceed to a deaf ferenting procedure.