Results of bone conduction following surgery for chronic ear disease.

Preoperative and postoperative bone conduction thresholds were compared in 181 chronic ears operated on over a 5-year period between 1990 to 1994. In the majority (92%) of cases the bone conduction thresholds remained unchanged (+/-10 dB). Nine ears (5%) showed better thresholds after surgery, with improvements ranging from 11 dB to 25 dB. This improvement was especially noted in ears with severe tympanic pathology. One ear with a large labyrinthine fistula became totally deaf after surgery. In 5 ears (3%) bone-conduction thresholds deteriorated, but remained measurable at all frequencies tested. In these latter cases this impairment ranged from 11 dB to 27 dB. Cholesteatomatous ears having intact ossicular chains were found to be at the highest risk of inner ear damage when "canal wall-down" mastoidectomies were performed. Methods for prevention of sensorineural hearing loss following chronic ear surgery are discussed.