Results of 1470 nanometre diode laser assisted stapedotomy.

OBJECTIVES

Few studies have investigated stapedotomy using 1470 nm diode laser, and the present article contributes with clinical experience.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis was conducted to investigate hearing performance of 22 patients undergoing 1470 nm diode laser-assisted primary stapedotomy.

RESULTS

In 8/22 cases, accidental breaches to the inner ear by the laser and in 14/22 cases the stapedotomy was performed as planned only by drill. Air-bone gap and loss of sensorineural hearing were low and with no significant differences for groups at follow-up. No patients with breaches by laser reported new or worse tinnitus.

CONCLUSION

Accidental breaches in the stapes footplate using this diode laser did not appear to equate with inner ear damage within this limited cohort. Hearing outcomes were not significantly affected. These findings should be interpreted with caution. Further studies evaluating this laser wavelength in stapedotomy is required.