Surgical treatment of stapes fixation by fiberoptic argon laser stapedotomy with reconstruction of the annular ligament.

The goal of surgical treatment of stapes fixation is to restore the impedance transfer of the ossicular chain and the acoustic impedance of the annular ligament of the stapes footplate to achieve normal physiologic vibration of the inner ear fluids. Advances in instrumentation, particularly the introduction of fiberoptic laser handpieces and microdrills, have enabled surgeons to approach this goal in a more precise and delicate fashion. In this article, the authors review their surgical techniques, the biophysics involved, the physics of fiberoptic handpieces for the delivery of argon laser energy, and their results.