Avaliação dos potenciais evocados cocleares após lesão do utrículo por eletrocauterização

Abstract

Ut riculostomy is a new surgical alternative for Ménière's disease. The basis of this procedure is that the outcome of an electrocautery-induced utricular trauma does not affect cochlear function. However, a demonstration of the hypothesis that this approach to the utricle would preserve hearing is still pending.Objective: To determine whether any changes would occur in the electrical potentials evoked in the cochlea and auditory nerve before, during, and 1 month after a surgical procedure in the utricule in an animal model. Materials and Methods:An experimental study. Eight sheep underwent electrocautery-induced utricular trauma, and their cochlear function was assessed by electrocochleography -recording of electrical evoked potentials, in the preoperative, immediate postoperative and medium-term postoperative periods. The results were analyzed statistically.Results: There were no statistically significant variations in amplitude (p = 0.099) and latency (p = 0.591) before and 1 month after the surgical procedure. There was a statistically significant change in the summation of the potential/action potential area ratio (p = 0.0122), a calculated loss of 11.8 dB. Conclusion:The intervention performed in this study enabled us to conclude that, taking into account the impaired electrophysiological responses observed during and 1 month after the surgical procedure, hearing was preserved in the operated sheep. ORIGINAL ARTICLEBraz J Otorhinolaryngol. 2012;78(2):52-8.