Quality of life in patients with otosclerosis

Introduction. One of the most relevant areas of modern medicine is research affecting the assessment of the quality of life of a person. Hearing loss can significantly limit various areas of life, thereby affecting the overall quality of life and certain particular characteristics. One of the methods of surgical treatment of otosclerosis is stapedoplasty with the installation of a titanium prosthesis. Aim of the study. To assess the quality of life index in patients with otosclerosis and its dynamics depending on the surgical treatment performed. Materials and methods. The study involved 39 patients who underwent piston stapedoplasty with the installation of a titanium prosthesis. Quality of life was assessed at the preoperative and postoperative stages. We used a Russified version of the SPOT-25 questionnaire (Stapesplasty Outcome Test 25) with a range of results, where 0 is the minimum impact, and 100 is the maximum. Results. All patients successfully underwent stapedoplasty. The average score in the preoperative period was 58.8 ± 14.9, in the postoperative period – 29.4 ± 20.4. Statistical comparison revealed a statistically significant improvement in all separately assessed indicators (p < 0.001) and overall quality of life (p < 0.001). Conclusion. The introduction into practice of a new tool for assessing the patient’s condition through such a parameter as quality of life can influence the rationale for the methods and tactics of patient treatment, which can positively affect the quality of medical care provided.