Cochleostomy or endolymphatic sac surgery for advanced Meniere's disease.

The operation of cochleostomy is described. The surgical technique is vital for the true assessment of results. If the cochlear duct is punctured, the risk to hearing is unacceptably high. If only the osseous spiral lamina is punctured, the results are acceptable in the short term, though the rationale cannot be explained. In the management of difficult patients with more advanced Meniere's disease, some variant of cochleostomy should probably be included in the therapeutic options. The results of endolymphatic sac surgery are significantly better in a matched group of patients.