Does The Diameter of The Prosthesis Affect The Outcome of Stapedotomy?

Abstract

To compare the outcomes of the stapedotomies performed using Teflon prostheses with 0.4 mm and 0.6 mm diameters. Materials and Methods: Pre-and postoperative audiograms of 52 participants, who had undergone stapedotomy, were evaluated retrospectively. Participants were divided into two groups according to the diameter of the prosthesis used for their surgery: Group 1 (0.4 mm) and Group 2 (0.6 mm). Air conduction (AC) pure tone thresholds at 250, 500, 1000, 2000, 4000, and 6000 Hz and air-bone gaps (ABGs) at 500, 1000, 2000, and 4000 Hz, as well as pure tone averages (PTAs), were compared within and between groups. Results: Hearing gain, with regard to AC thresholds and ABGs, was statistically significant within both groups for each frequency (p<0.05). Pre-and postoperative PTAs and ABGs were similar between the groups (p>0.05). Whereas the preoperative AC thresholds were similar between the groups at all frequencies, postoperative AC thresholds of the 0.6 mm group were better than those of the 0.4 mm group at 2000 Hz (p<0.05). However, postoperative AC thresholds were similar between the groups at all frequencies other than 2000 Hz (p>0.05). Conclusion: The outcomes of the stapedotomies with 0.4 and 0.6 mm Teflon prostheses were similar to each other with regard to postoperative hearing gain, PTA, and ABG. However, only at 2000 Hz, AC thresholds were found to be better in patients with a 0.6 mm prosthesis than in those with a 0.4 mm prosthesis.