Short- and long-term results of stapedotomy and stapedectomy with a Teflon-wire piston prosthesis

We analyzed the results of 604 cases of primary stapes surgery performed between 1974 and 1997 with replacement of the stapes by a 0.6- or 0.8-mm Schuknecht Teflon-wire piston. At long-term follow-up (I to 21 years; mean, 7 years), the residual air-bone gap was 10 dB or less in 79% of the cases. The hearing results and postoperative complications were comparable to those reported by authors who used the same evaluation criteria. Although the aim of the surgery was to perform a small stapedotomy with a narrow footplate perforation (0.8 mm), a large stapedotomy or a stapedectomy was performed in 134 cases (22.2%) because of surgical or anatomic conditions. Our results show that the larger footplate perforations allowed a better correction of the air-bone gap at the lower frequencies. The ears with larger perforations did not show a higher incidence of sensorineural hearing loss.