A ten year statistical follow-up of 245 consecutive cases of endolymphatic shunt and decompression with 328 consecutive cases of labyrinthectomy.

The etiology of Meniere's disease is unknown and the treatment is empirical and at best controversial. The goals of treatment are hearing preservation and the control of vertigo. Between 1956 and 1971, a total of 5,208 cases of Meniere's disease was seen. Medical treatment was effective in 4,530 cases (87%), while surgery was employed in 677 cases (13%). The surgical procedures were divided into 1. a conservative group where useful hearing was still present and 2. a destructive group where no useful hearing existed. The conservation operation employed was a procedure on the endolymphatic sac, while the destructive procedure was a labyrinthectomy. In a small series of cases where these procedures failed to control the vertigo, a middle cranial fossa vestibular nerve section was done. This review of our experience summarizes the efficacy of each procedure in reaching the stated goals of hearing preservation and the control of vertigo.