Is the Er:YAG laser damaging to inner ear function?

OBJECTIVE

To assess whether the use of the Er:YAG laser in middle ear surgery has negative effects on inner ear function.

STUDY

DESIGN

Prospective.

PATIENTS: Forty-nine patients with a 4- to 18-month postoperative audiologic follow-up were included in the study (24 stapedotomies, 23 malleostapedotomies, 1 surgery for congenital ear atresia, and 1 tympanoplasty). Twenty patients with conventional stapedotomy formed a control group.

RESULTS

No statistically significant differences in preoperative and postoperative bone conduction thresholds and no impairment of postoperative air conduction thresholds were found. There was no significant difference between the results of the laser and the conventional stapedotomy. In addition, no relevant correlation between applied laser energy and postoperative hearing results were found. In summary, the authors were unable to find a negative effect of the Er:YAG laser on inner ear function at the 4- to 18-month audiometric follow-up.

CONCLUSION

The clinical use of the Er:YAG laser with the system used in this study poses no risk to inner ear function if the total amount of energy is kept within the limits applied in this study.