Functional hearing results in revision stapes surgery

Objective: The object of our study was to review the results of 63 revision stapes surgeries performed from 1978 to 1994. Results: The most common cause of failure was the displacement of the prosthesis, followed by ossicular chain problems and oval window fibrosis. Postoperative hearing improvement within a 20-dB air-borne gap was achieved in 58.7% of the patients. Hearing gain was closely linked to the operative findings. Better results occurred when prosthesis problems were found. Evaluation of the hearing results by using Glasgow benefit plot gave evidence of symmetric normal hearing in only 40% of the cases. Conclusions: Prevention of the cause of failure during the primary stapes surgeries, lessening the surgical trauma, seems to provide the most favorable hearing results.