REVISION STAPEDECTOMY - INTRAOPERATIVE FINDINGS, RESULTS, AND REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE

Seventy-four revision stapedectomies performed consecutively over 10 y ears (1986 to 1995) were reviewed retrospectively. The most common int raoperative findings were incus erosion, prosthesis displacement, and oval window closure, Incus erosion was more frequently associated with multiple revisions, The postoperative results were reported using the conventional method (postoperative air minus preoperative bone) as we ll as the guidelines recently published by the American Academy of Oto laryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (postoperative air minus postoperati ve bone), with success rates of postoperative air-bone gap closure to within 10 dB after revision surgery of 51.6% and 45.6%, respectively, Patients with persistent conductive hearing loss (large residual air-b one gaps) after primary stapedectomy had poorer postrevision hearing r esults. Sensorineural hearing loss (defined as a drop in bone pure-ton e average of more than 10 dB) occurred in four cases (5.4%), The numbe r of revision surgeries, variations in operative techniques using lase r or drill, and the ossicle to which the prosthesis was attached did n ot statistically affect the postoperative air-bone gaps, These results were compared with previously published data.