ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: To search for a statistically significant difference in auditory results between right and left ears after surgery for otosclerosis. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective case-review study. SETTING: Academic tertiary referral center. PATIENTS: Eight hundred ninety-four cases of stapes surgery were reviewed. Patients were divided into 2 groups: right ear (474 cases) and left ear (420 cases). There were 4 classes in each group depending on the preoperative air-bone gap (ABG). Each class was divided into 3 subclasses depending on the preoperative bone conduction (BC). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Two parameters were analyzed: ABG and BC. The parameters compared between right and left ears were 1) the difference between mean preoperative and 4-month postoperative ABG (DeltaABG) and 2) the difference between mean preoperative and 4-month postoperative BC (DeltaBC). We used the analysis of variance statistical test. Furthermore, we calculated the number of patients who have had postoperative sensorineural hearing loss at 4 months defined as a fall in BC of more than 10 dB and compared the results between right and left ears using chi test. RESULTS: There was no statistically significant difference in the DeltaABG and the DeltaBC between the right and left ear (p = 0.742 and 0.426, respectively) taking into consideration all classes and subclasses. We found 19 cases of postoperative sensorineural hearing loss, among which are 10 right ears and 9 left ears. The difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.973). CONCLUSION: There is no functional difference between stapes surgery performed in the right ear as compared with that performed in the left ear.
