Meniett therapy may avoid vestibular neurectomy in disabling Meniere's disease.

CONCLUSION

In those patients for whom vestibular neurectomy has been selected due to the disabling recurrence of vertigo spells, Meniett therapy has been shown to allow avoidance of this surgical procedure in a fairly high percentage of patients with Meniere's disease (MD). Our data would also support a better result when pressure treatment is acting on MD of short duration.

OBJECTIVE

To test the possibility that low pressure treatment (Meniett) could avoid vestibular neurectomy in patients with MD that was refractory to medical treatment.

PATIENTS AND

METHODS

The setting was a tertiary referral centre in a university hospital. Thirty-six MD patients, for whom vestibular neurectomy was indicated, underwent Meniett treatment and composed a group in which a long-term (>2 years) follow-up was achieved. Additionally, different durations of MD ('young' and 'old' MD) were distinguished and analysed separately.

RESULTS

Twenty-five patients (69.4%) were treated satisfactorily by using Meniett treatment and therefore avoided vestibular neurectomy. In half of them only one cycle of treatment was necessary.