A comparison between endoscopic and microscopic approaches for stapes surgery: experience of a tertiary referral center

Purpose Otosclerosis is a common ear disease causing ankylosis of the stapedio-vestibular joint and conductive hearing loss. Stapedoplasty is the most advisable surgical solution. The restoration of hearing depends on the condition of the patient and the surgery itself. The aim of our work was to compare the surgical and audiological results of stapedoplasty performed with endoscopic versus microscopic technique. Methods This is a retrospective study of 254 patients treated with stapedoplasty with a microscopic approach (91/254) or with an endoscopic approach (163/254) between 2014 and 2021 at our tertiary referral center. Statistical significance of differences between the two methods was determined using the Mann–Whitney test for quantitative variables and the Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed-rank test for repeated measures. Categorical variables were assessed with Fisher’s exact test. Results Both techniques improved the hearing status of patients, with no statistically significant difference between them. There was also no statistically significant difference in reported complications between the two techniques. There is a statistical difference ( p