Stapes Surgery

Stapes surgery, also known as a stapedectomy, is a procedure performed to improve conductive hearing loss. A prosthetic device is inserted into the middle ear to enable sound waves to travel to the inner ear and restore hearing. It is suitable for patients with significant hearing loss due to a condition called otosclerosis.

What is otosclerosis?

Otosclerosis is a condition caused by abnormal bone remodelling in the middle ear. Bone tissue renews itself by replacing old tissue with new. In otosclerosis, abnormal remodelling disrupts the ability of sound to travel from the middle ear, where three tiny bones called the malleus, incus and stapes amplify the sound vibrations from the eardrum, through to the inner ear. Otosclerosis can cause the stapes bone to become stuck, preventing sound from travelling through the ear and impairing hearing.

While there is some evidence to suggest this condition may be caused by previous measles infection, stress fractures or immune disorders, it is hereditary. Mild otosclerosis can be treated with a hearing aid that amplifies sound, but stapes surgery has been shown to have really good outcomes in moderate to severe cases..

What does surgery involve?

Stapes surgery replaces all or part of the damaged stapes bone. You will be given general anaesthesia or local anaesthesia with sedation during surgery. The surgery takes about 1 to 2 hours.

Your ENT surgeon will perform the operation either through a small cut in front of your ear, behind your ear or through a cut around your ear canal inside your ear. The top part of the stapes bone is removed and a small hole is made in the remaining part of the stapes bone, called the footplate, and a prosthesis is placed. The prosthesis acts as a transmitter of sound waves to the inner ear. Tissue helps to seal the hole in the footplate to prevent leakage of the inner ear fluid.

At the end of the procedure a thin ribbon like pack is placed in the ear canal and left for two weeks.

What is the recovery time?

You will usually be able to go home on the day of your surgery, or the following day if your surgery is in the afternoon. Your ear will be packed for two weeks so during this this time the hearing is likely to be muffled.

It is common to feel a little dizzy following this surgery so it is important rest and to avoid rapid head movements and strenuous activity. It is also worth avoiding anything that might increase pressure in the head like straining or heavy lifting. You will need to take at least two weeks off work, more if your job is physical.

It usually takes several weeks for the hearing to settle completely and there are often fluctuations in hearing over the first few weeks.

How successful is surgery and what are the risks?

In general the operation is very successful with the majority of patients experiencing a good improvement in hearing. As with any surgery, this surgery has risks. You may still have some hearing loss that remains after surgery. In rare cases (1%), the surgery can make hearing loss worse. There is also a small chance of altered taste, ringing (termed tinnitus) and dizziness. Very rarely, you may experience a paralysis of the muscles of the face as the nerve that supplies this runs closely to your stapes bone. Your ENT surgeon will discuss the risks with you in detail.

Need help?

At One Hatfield Hospital in Hertfordshire, we can book you in to see a specialist surgeon, usually within 48 hours, for an initial consultation to discuss the diagnosis and treatment of your symptoms and, if necessary, stapes surgery.

You can use your private medical insurance or pay for your Stapes Surgery treatment. We offer competitive, fixed price packages. If you are using your health insurance, please contact your insurer first for approval and let them know you’d like to be treated at One Hatfield Hospital.

Why One Hatfield

• Modern purpose-built hospital opened in December 2017
• Fast access to diagnostics including MRI, X-ray and Ultrasound
• Private, spacious, en-suite rooms
• Specialist physiotherapy and nursing teams
• Little or no waiting time
• ‘Ultra clean air’ theatres
• Freshly prepared food
• Calm, dignified experience

Contact us and find out more

If you are based in and around Hertfordshire, St Albans, Stevenage, Watford, North London, Welwyn or Bedfordshire and would like to visit the One Hatfield Hospital please click here.