FUNCTIONAL HEARING RESULTS IN REVISION STAPES SURGERY

Objective: The object of our study was to review the results of 63 rev ision stapes surgeries performed from 1978 to 1994. Results: The most common cause of failure was the displacement of the prosthesis, follow ed by ossicular chain problems and oval window fibrosis. Postoperative hearing improvement within a 20-dB air-borne gap was achieved in 58.7 % of the patients. Hearing gain was closely linked to the operative fi ndings. Better results occurred when prosthesis problems were found. E valuation of the hearing results by using Glasgow benefit plot gave ev idence of symmetric normal hearing in only 40% of the cases. Conclusio ns: Prevention of the cause of failure during the primary stapes surge ries, lessening the surgical trauma, seems to provide the most favorab le hearing results.