Results of stapedotomies performed under general anesthesia

It is recommended that a stapedotomy be performed under local anaesthesia to enable intraoperative monitoring of hearing and vestibular function. In contrast, we prefer to carry out stapedotomies under general anesthesia. The aim of this study was to investigate whether this practice has an adverse effect on hearing results. All stapedotomies performed in our department between May 2003 and February 2012 were included in the analysis. Revision surgery was excluded. All interventions were performed under general anesthesia with an endotracheal tube by the same surgeon using the same technique. Pure tone and speech audiometry, acoustic reflex testing and Schüller radiology were performed preoperatively. Follow-up examinations (pure tone and speech audiometry) took place 4-6 weeks following surgery. A total of 262 stapedotomies were carried out on 228 patients. Follow-up examinations could not be performed on six patients. Of the remaining 256 cases, closure of the air-bone gap to less than 10 dB was achieved in 220 patients (86%) and in 29 patients (11%) it was closed to less than 20 dB. Conductive hearing loss persisted in seven cases (3%). A mild sensorineural hearing loss with complete closure of the air-bone gap was experienced by two patients (0.8%). There was no instance of postoperative deafness. Performing stapedotomies under general rather than local anesthesia has no adverse effects on audiological results.