Retrolabyrinthine vestibular neurectomy with and without monitoring of eighth nerve potentials.

Retrolabyrinthine vestibular neurectomy is a safe and effective treatment for Meniere's disease and inner ear vertigo. Hearing was maintained within 20 dB of the preoperative level in 83% of our patients and speech discrimination scores were preserved within 20% in 80%. Intraoperative monitoring of audiometric evoked potentials, employed to study the possible causes of hearing loss, provided rapid, sensitive detection of trauma to the auditory system. Our patients benefited from this technique--those who underwent retrolabyrinthine vestibular nerve section, as well as those who experienced acoustic neuroma surgery, where hearing preservation is a goal. Direct intraoperative monitoring of eighth nerve function continues to be a standard part of our surgical practice.