A checklist for surgical exposure in stapes surgery: how to avoid misapprehension.

The goal of middle ear exploration in stapes surgery is to identify impairments of function along the entire ossicular chain. The endaural approach with an extended tympanomeatal flap and an almost routinely performed anterosuperior canalplasty allow adequate exposure to identify the anterior malleal ligament and process (1), the inferior incudomalleal joint (2), the entire stapes including the pyramidal process (3), and the round window niche (4). With this checklist at hand the otologic surgeon can define the exact location of the hearing impairment and choose the proper technique for hearing reconstruction in primary and revision surgeries.