Predicting Functional Outcomes and Length of Stay Following Acoustic Neuroma Resection.

OBJECTIVES: To examine whether simple mobility assessments can predict functional limitations and length of hospitalization after acoustic neuroma (AN) resection. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective case series. METHODS: A prospective clinical study of adult patients undergoing AN resection by either the translabyrinthine, retrosigmoid, or middle fossa approach was conducted at a tertiary center. Preoperative mobility assessments included the functional gait assessment (FGA) and the 10-m walk (10 MW). Postoperatively, the Activity Measure for Post-Acute Care (AMPAC, at 48 hours), FGA, and 10 MW (at 1 week) were obtained. Demographic and medical data were collected. RESULTS: One hundred and thirty-eight patients were analyzed (mean age: 48.3 years, 68.8% female). Mean length of stay (LOS) was 3.1 days. The translabyrinthine approach was most commonly performed (48.6%). On regression analyses, preoperative FGA (P = 0.03) and 48-hour postoperative AM-PAC (P < 0.001) independently predicted LOS, even after accounting for age, gender, body mass index, and tumor size. On receiver operating characteristic analysis, a preoperative FGA cut score of 25.5 predicted a protracted hospital stay (>4 days) with a sensitivity of 77% and specificity of 50% (area under curve: 68.5). CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that preoperative mobility assessments can predict functional limitations and LOS after AN resection. These objective tools can be used by clinicians to manage expectations and guide preoperative counseling in patients considering surgery. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 3 Laryngoscope, 131:644-648, 2021.

The evaluation of vestibular compensation by vestibular rehabilitation and prehabilitation in short-term postsurgical period in patients following surgical treatment of vestibular schwannoma.

PURPOSE: Vestibular schwannoma removal causes unilateral vestibular deafferentation, which results in dizziness and postural unsteadiness. Vertigo and balance problems together are among the most important aspects affecting quality of life. Intensive vestibular rehabilitation, which starts before surgery, with following postsurgical supervised rehabilitation, using visual biofeedback propose an instrument to accelerate a recovery process. Another option how to accelerate the vestibular compensation, is employment of presurgical gentamicin ablation together with vestibular rehabilitation (prehabilitation) of vestibular function. Purpose of present study was to examine the dynamics of vestibular compensation process using supervised intensive vestibular rehabilitation with visual biofeedback in the short-term postsurgical period. The second aim was to compare both studied groups mainly to evaluate if prehabilitation has potential to accelerate the compensation process in the early postoperative course. METHODS: The study included 52 patients who underwent the retrosigmoid vestibular schwannoma removal. They were divided into two groups. The first group was prehabilitated with intratympanic application of gentamicin before surgery to cause unilateral vestibular loss (14 patients), the second group (38 patients) was treated in standard protocol without prehabilitation. All patients underwent at home vestibular training before surgery to learn new movement patterns. Following the surgery supervised intensive vestibular rehabilitation including visual biofeedback was employed daily in both groups between the 5th and 14th postoperative day. Outcome measurements included an evaluation of subjective visual vertical (SVV), posturography and the Activities-Specific Balance Confidence Scale (ABC). ANOVA for repeated measurements was used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: We observed significant improvement in SVV (p < 0.05), posturography parameters (p < 0.05) and ABC scores (p < 0.05) with postoperative rehabilitation program following surgery in both groups. There was no statistically significant difference between group treated by prehabilitation and group without prehabilitation. CONCLUSIONS: Results of this study showed that intensive postsurgical rehabilitation represents key factor in compensation process following retrosigmoid vestibular schwannoma surgery. Prehabilitation did not speed up recovery process.

Bone-anchored hearing aid (BAHA): indications, functional results, and comparison with reconstructive surgery of the ear

Introduction: The bone-anchored hearing aid (BAHA) is a bone conduction hearing device that transmits sound directly into the inner ear. It is mainly used in patients with conductive hearing loss associated with aural atresia, but it is also used in those with mixed and sensorineural hearing loss. Goals: To review the main indications for BAHA, to analyze the audiometric results and its benefits for patients and compare them with other treatment modalities, and to compare the literature data with our sample of 13 patients. Method: The research was performed using a database covering works in English, Spanish, and Portuguese, with no limitations in the years when the procedures were performed. We compared the literature data with our results for the 13 patients who underwent BAHA implantation between the years 2000 and 2009. Results: Most of the studies showed that BAHA has great advantages over reconstructive surgery in terms of hearing results, complications, and disease recurrence. The postoperative results for our 13 patients were satisfactory and comparable with the results from the literature, with closure of the air-bone gap in 7 patients and achieving an air-bone gap of 10 dB in 6 patients. No postoperative complications were observed. Conclusion: BAHA is a better treatment option than reconstructive surgery for patients with bilateral deafness. It is a relatively simple surgical procedure with few complications and good hearing results. Recent studies have examined its use in conductive and unilateral sensorineural hearing loss...

Taste disturbance after mastoid surgery: immediate and long-term effects of chorda tympani nerve sacrifice.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the immediate and long-term taste effects of chorda tympani nerve sacrifice in patients undergoing open cavity mastoidectomy. DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: A retrospective, questionnaire survey of patients receiving follow up and aural toilet following open cavity mastoidectomy, over a four-month period. The questionnaire assessed taste disturbance, both immediately post-operative and current. Available surgical records were reviewed for chorda tympani references. RESULTS: Of 57 patients, six had undergone surgery to both ears. Of those who could recall (37/57), 24.3 per cent were aware of taste disturbance immediately after surgery, while 8.7 per cent reported current disturbance (median post-operative interval, 28.5 years; range, one month to 67 years). No bilateral surgery patients were aware of taste disturbance. CONCLUSION: Mastoidectomy consent procedure emphasises the risk of hearing loss and facial nerve injury, yet in open cavity surgery chorda tympani division is almost inevitable. Reassuringly, most post-operative taste disturbance resolves, and most patients are not aware of long-term disturbance. However, a small percentage suffer ongoing taste disturbance; this could be significant for professional chefs and wine-tasters. The risk of taste disturbance should be addressed in the consent procedure.

Facial nerve outcomes in functional vestibular schwannoma surgery: less than total tumour excision significantly improves results.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the implications of a functional approach to vestibular schwannoma surgery, with facial nerve function prioritised higher than total tumour excision. STUDY DESIGN: A case-control study in a tertiary referral neurotology clinic. PATIENTS: A 'functional' surgical group treated after April 2007 (n = 44, mean cerebellopontine angle dimension 27 mm), and an 'excisional' surgical group matched for tumour size, treated from 1997 to April 2007 (n = 115). INTERVENTION: Change to more functional surgical approach. PRIMARY OUTCOME: facial nerve status. Secondary outcome: tumour recurrence in less-than-total tumour excision. RESULTS: Facial nerve preservation: 77 per cent House-Brackmann grade I-II in functional group at 12 months, versus 57 per cent grade I-II in excisional group (p = 0.027). Tumour recurrence: 1 per cent in total excision group, 2 per cent in near-total group and 40 per cent in sub-total group. CONCLUSION: A functional approach to vestibular schwannoma surgery improves facial nerve preservation outcomes and reduces the requirement for facial nerve rehabilitative interventions. Tumour recurrence rates are low in near-totally excised lesions but significant if only sub-total excision is achieved.

La rehabilitación en implante coclear: una aproximación natural / Cochlear implant rehabilitation: a natural approach

La experiencia en el área de rehabilitación del Programa de Implante Coclear (PIC) del Centro Médico Otológico y la Clínica José A. Rivas Ltda., ha permitido realizar un cambio de concepción significativo en cuanto al abordaje del trabajo con niños y adolescentes usuarios de implante coclear. Desde 1994 los profesionales del PIC se han puesto en la tarea de propiciar las condiciones óptimas para que los niños tengan acceso al mundo de los sonidos y realicen una apropiación real de la lengua oral. Esto ha sido posible gracias a los permanentes procesos de formación y a la continua búsqueda de los resultados obtenidos con los diversos enfoques de trabajo usados alrededor del mundo, lo cual a su vez ha conducido a que, en la actualidad, se desarrolle un trabajo basado en la rehabilitación del PIC, con enfoque auditivo-oral. Esta filosofía, le ha permitido al PIC, acorde con las políticas del programa, encontrar un espacio donde los profesionales, la familia y el colegio forman parte de un equipo que tiene como prioridad el mejoramiento de la calidad de vida de nuestros niños