Stapedectomy is an effective procedure to treat hearing disease. Since any surgery with positive hope of treatment also accompanied with risk and complications. Here I would share possible complications that may arise through this Stapedectomy.
- Hearing loss: Though, there are 95% of patients who will be benefited with Stapedectomy but still 4% of patients will have no change and 1% will lose their hearing.
- Dizziness: Stapedectomy seems having effective result but few people are more likely to have temporary dizziness which often lasts up to a month. It further occurs every month after stapedectomy. Attempting serious research derived me to clearly states 1% of patients will completely lost their hearing.
- Ringing: Ringing often presents with a hearing loss in case of some patients. They are having ringing in their ear and after surgery, it will become less.
- Facial Nerve Paralysis: The surgery may cause a temporary paralysis for 1% of patients after surgery, however only 1% out of 1000 patients experience permanent paralysis. This complication appears on a person’s face, controlling movement from one side and then runs through the ear.
- Perforation: The perforation refers to a situation where patients experience hole in the eardrum (this require patch procedure at a later time). A small tear in the eardrum could also be possible for 10% of patients and this may heal without further difficulty. If this problem occurs during surgery, a fascia myringoplasty can be practiced to repair the defect and then surgery can proceed. Nevertheless, larger perforation can be solved via tympanoplasty.
- Infection: Every surgery has possible complication after it is done and infection is most potential complication with stapedectomy in approximate 5% of the case.
- Dysgeusia/ Taste Disturbance: You may probably know this fact, the nerve which supplies 1/3rd of the taster to the tongue is run via middle ear and may have been pushed aside or cut for ear surgery. Dysgeusia is the result from injury to the chorda tympani. This may however, has an effect as taste disturbance for 10% of patients and usually lasts 1 year long.
This need to be consider here that Unilateral chorda tympani loss doesn’t mean devastating injury, but those who undergo bilateral middle ear surgery are advisable to take great care. It is to ensure one fully functional never remains. Those who ignored bilateral chorda tympani can suffer from permanent taste disturbance and dryness off the mouth.