Stapedectomy:

A stapedectomy is a middle ear surgical treatment that is used to enhance hearing. A conductive hearing loss occurs when the stapes footplate is locked in place rather than being ordinarily movable.

The doctor uses a microscope to examine the tiny bones of the inner ear during stapedectomy. Your doctor creates an incision in the natural aperture in your ear, lifts your eardrum out of the way, and separates the stapes from the incus bone before removing the stapes.

Disease Overview:

Otosclerosis-related hearing loss

Otosclerosis is a rare condition that causes hearing loss. It happens when a small bone in your middle ear, usually the one called the stapes -- gets stuck in place. Most of the time, this happens when bone tissue in your middle ear grows around the stapes in a way it shouldn't.

Signs and Symptoms:

The main symptom of otosclerosis is hearing loss. At first, you may notice that you can't hear low-pitched sounds or people whispering. This usually gets worse over time.

Most people with otosclerosis have hearing loss in both ears. About 10% to 15% have hearing loss in just one ear. Other symptoms include:

-Dizziness, vertigo, or balance problems

-Tinnitus, or ringing, roaring, or hissing in your ears

Sometimes tinnitus can be a problem after you have ear surgery to treat otosclerosis.

Disease Causes

Otosclerosis is most often caused when one of the bones in the middle ear, the stapes, becomes stuck in place. When this bone is unable to vibrate, sound is unable to travel through the ear and hearing becomes impaired 

Diagnosis

If you notice you have trouble hearing, see an otolaryngologist (ear, nose, and throat doctor, or ENT). They will look closely at your ear, test your hearing, and ask about your family health history. In some cases, they may recommend a CT scan. A series of X-rays are taken at different angles and put together to make a more detailed image.

Treatment:

You may not need treatment right away, but otosclerosis usually worsens over time. Your provider may talk to you about:

Monitoring: If your otosclerosis is mild, your doctor may take a watch-and-wait approach and test your hearing regularly. They might also recommend that you get a hearing aid.

Devices:Hearing aids cannot cure otosclerosis, but they can improve the hearing loss you experience because of it.

Surgery: If your hearing loss is serious or gets worse, your doctor may recommend a surgery called a stapedectomy. With this procedure, a surgeon puts a device in your middle ear that moves the stuck stapes bone, letting sound waves travel to your inner ear so you can hear better.

A stapedectomy can help some people. But like all types of surgery, it has risks. In rare cases, it can make hearing loss worse. If you have otosclerosis in both ears, a surgeon will operate on one ear at a time. After the first one, you'll need to wait at least 6 months for it to be done on your other ear.

Your stapes bone has to vibrate for you to hear well. When it can't do that, sound can't travel from your middle ear to your inner ear. That makes it hard for you to hear.