Hearing gain after stapedotomy, partial platinectomy, or total stapedectomy for otosclerosis.

The differences in hearing gain 1 year after stapedotomy, partial platinectomy, or total stapedectomy for otosclerosis were studied separately at 0.5, 1, 2, 4, and 8 kHz with the data available from 311 consecutive primary operations performed between 1980 and 1982 in the University of Nijmegen Department of Otorhinolaryngology. Three groups of patients were matched for age, sex, clinical type of otosclerosis, and type of 0.6-mm all-Teflon piston. The hearing gain for air conduction was significantly better by an average of 7.4 dB for all frequencies combined after either stapedotomy or partial platinectomy compared to total stapedectomy.