Endoscopic stapes surgery
Reviewed by Sunil Sharma

This retrospective Turkish study looked at the audiological and surgical outcomes of 40 patients who underwent endoscopic stapes surgery over a three-year period. To assess the learning curve, the patients were divided into two groups based on the date of their surgery; the first 20 patients (FTPs) and last 20 patients (LTPs). The overall mean operative duration was 43.4±11.3 minutes, with the operative time decreasing as the number of cases performed increased (51.5±9.2 minutes among FTPs versus 35.3±3.9 minutes among LTPs (p<0.05)). The average air-bone gap values were 33.7±8.5dB preoperatively and 8.7±6.9dB postoperatively (p<0.05). The incudostapedial joint of 24 patients (60%) and the stapes footplate of 13 patients (32%) were directly visible without the requirement for bone curettage. No major complications occurred. This study suggests that endoscopic stapes surgery is a safe and effective technique for treating otosclerosis, with the added advantage of an excellent intraoperative view afforded by the endoscope, requiring less bone removal. The study has also demonstrated the learning curve associated with this procedure.

Endoscopic stapes surgery: our clinical experience and learning curve.
Gulsen S, Cikrikci S, Karatas
E. B-ENT
2019;15:281-8.