Article contents
Effect of mastoid drilling on hearing of the contralateral ear
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 16 September 2013
Abstract
This study aimed to: understand the effect that high intensity noise associated with drilling (during otological surgery) has on hearing in the contralateral ear; determine the nature of hearing loss, if any, by establishing whether it is temporary or persistent; and examine the association between hearing loss and various drill parameters.
A prospective clinical study was carried out at a tertiary centre. Thirty patients with unilateral cholesteatoma and normal contralateral hearing were included. Patients were evaluated pre-operatively and for five days following surgery using high frequency pure tone audiometry, and low and high frequency transient evoked and distortion product otoacoustic emission testing.
The findings revealed statistically significant changes in distortion product otoacoustic emissions at high frequencies (p = 0.016), and in transient evoked otoacoustic emissions at both low and high frequencies (p = 0.035 and 0.021, respectively). There was a higher statistical association between otoacoustic emission changes and cutting burrs compared with diamond burrs.
Drilling during mastoid surgery poses a threat to hearing in the contralateral ear due to noise and vibration conducted transcranially.
- Type
- Main Articles
- Information
- Copyright
- Copyright © JLO (1984) Limited 2013
Footnotes
Presented orally at the American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery Annual Meeting, 26–29 September 2010, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
References
- 13
- Cited by