Prospective effectiveness of stapes surgery for otosclerosis in a multicenter audit setting: feasibility of the Common Otology Database as a benchmark database.

INTRODUCTION: The Common Otology Database (COD) is a joint effort by an international group of otologists to organize audit with a standardized reporting method in middle ear surgery. The first results on hearing outcome of the COD are presented in this article. OBJECTIVE: The primary objective was to confirm the validity of the benchmark group by comparing hearing outcome results with previously reported results. The secondary objective was to describe the population, technical aspects, and hearing outcomes of stapes surgery. STUDY DESIGN: Nonrandomized prospective multicenter audit. SETTING: Twenty tertiary-referral otologic centers. PATIENTS AND INTERVENTION: Primary and revision stapes operations in patients with otosclerosis. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Air-bone gap (ABG), bone-conduction (BC) thresholds, and air-conduction (AC) thresholds were evaluated at 3 and 12 months according to the guidelines of the Committee on Hearing and Equilibrium for the evaluation of conductive hearing loss. Raw data were displayed in an Amsterdam Hearing Evaluation Plot. RESULTS: In primary stapes surgeries, the postoperative ABG was closed to 10 dB or less in 63.6% and to 20 dB or less in 92.6% (median, 8.75 dB). In revision stapes surgeries, the postoperative ABG was closed to 10 dB in 41.2% and to 20 dB in 76.5% of cases (median, 11.25 dB). The overall mean postoperative ABG at 12 months was 10.38 dB compared with 28.75 dB preoperatively. Using laser to perform the fenestration results in a less pronounced BC improvement when compared with procedures without laser assistance. No statistically significant difference in ABG pure-tone average at 3 months could be demonstrated between the different prosthesis types. CONCLUSION: Results of hearing outcome are similar to previous, primarily retrospective, single-center studies. Our data confirm the effectiveness of stapes surgery in patients with otosclerosis.