Endolymphatic sac surgery for Menière's disease.

An endolymphatic-mastoid Silastic shunt procedure was performed in 122 cases of Menière's disease having a mean follow-up period of three years. In accordance with American Academy of Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology 1972 criteria, there were 43% class A, 20% class B, 21% class C, and 17% class D results. Analysis of 35 recent cases having a mean follow-up period of nine months revealed 57% class A, 25% class B, 9% class C, and 9% class D results. Sixteen percent of the patients who experienced classes A, B or C results complained of other fluctuating symptoms which were not relieved by surgery. Moreover, three new cases of otolithic crisis were found in the postoperative group. Seven of ten patients who experienced a class A or B result had either a recrudescence of their vertigo or a significant decrement in hearing in response to a postoperative salt-loading test. It is concluded that the surgical success rate decreases with time and that the procedure appears to alter the symptom complex but does not cure Menière's disease.