1984 Santa Barbara state-of-the-art symposium on otosclerosis. Results, conclusions, consensus.

A state-of-the-art symposium on otosclerosis convened in Santa Barbara, California on Jan 6, 1984. The panel included some of the most distinguished and experienced otosclerosis surgeons in the world, with a collective experience of over 100,000 stapes operations. The purpose of the symposium was to develop guidelines for safe management of otosclerosis and to identify the at-risk patient for surgery. Topics included techniques developed by these surgeons through avoidance, recognition, and correction of technical problems; complications; and errors that lead to poor results. Discussed in order were patient evaluation, performance of surgery, and postoperative care.