Author(s)
Kavan Babu, BS
Christian G. Fritz, MD
Jonathan S. Choi, MD
Garrett G. Casale, MD
Caleb J. Fan, MD
Jake C. Lucas, MD
Seilesh C. Babu, MD
Affiliation(s)
Michigan Ear Institute
Abstract:
Objective: To quantify contralateral hearing outcomes after labyrinthectomy for unilateral Ménière's disease (MD).
Study Design: Retrospective case series.
Patients: Labyrinth removal for the management of MD or translabyrinthine (TLAB) acoustic neuroma resection between 2008–2012.
Outcome measure: Long-term hearing changes via pure tone averages (PTA).
Results: Upon comparison of low-frequency PTA (250, 500, 1000 Hz), MD patients experienced a greater degree of hearing loss during the follow-up period when compared to the TLAB lab group (7.54 ± 2.11 dB vs 2.39 ± 1.10 dB, p = 0.035). This difference as attributable to 12 (28.6%) MD patients experiencing a =30dB increase in low-frequency PTA, whereas none (0.0%) of the TLAB surpassed this threshold.
Conclusions: At 10 years post-labyrinthectomy there is a heightened risk for MD patients to develop low-frequency sensorineural hearing loss. Clinicians should monitor for audiometric changes through regular testing in the decade following labyrinth removal.