Struggling to hear whispers or turning the TV up? A simple 2-hour surgery called stapedectomy could restore your hearing.

Do you often find it hard to understand when someone whispers or speaks softly? Do you need to turn the TV volume up higher than before? When hearing fades slowly over time, you might ignore it at first. However, a common reason for this gradual hearing loss is a condition called otosclerosis.

Do not worry, as this is not a dangerous condition. There is also a very successful treatment available for it. Today, we will explain stapedectomy surgery in simple, easy-to-understand English so you know exactly what to expect.

What Is a Stapedectomy?

A stapedectomy is a surgical operation designed to restore your hearing. Doctors perform this procedure specifically to fix damage in your middle ear caused by otosclerosis.

Inside your ear, a tiny chain of bones carries sound signals. The very last bone in this chain looks like a tiny stirrup and is called the stapes. This bone acts like a door hinge, sending sound vibrations deeper into your inner ear. When you have otosclerosis, abnormal bone tissue grows around the stapes and locks it in place.

Because the bone cannot move, sound waves cannot travel properly, and your hearing drops. During a stapedectomy, your doctor carefully removes the stuck stapes bone. They then put a tiny artificial device in its place to do the exact same job. Once this device is in place, sound waves can flow freely to your inner ear, and your hearing improves.

What Are the Signs of Otosclerosis?

You only need a stapedectomy if otosclerosis causes your hearing loss. Because this condition develops slowly, you might not notice it right away. Look at the common symptoms below to see if you experience any of them.

If you experience one or more of these symptoms for a long time, you should schedule an appointment with an ear, nose, and throat doctor for an evaluation.

Is This a Major Surgery?

Hearing the word surgery makes many people feel nervous. However, this is not a massive or terrifying operation. In medicine, major surgery usually means putting you under general anesthesia and connecting you to a breathing machine.

Doctors usually perform a stapedectomy using a local anesthetic to numb just your ear. This means you stay awake, but you feel zero pain in your ear area. Your doctor may choose general anesthesia only in special cases. Therefore, medical experts consider this a relatively simple surgery with a low risk level.

What Happens Before Surgery?

Before your doctor schedules your surgery, they will run a few tests to confirm your hearing loss. These steps ensure you receive the right care plan.

• Medical history review: Your doctor will ask how long your hearing has been poor, whether your family has similar issues, and if you experience dizziness or ringing.
• Physical examination: Your doctor will look inside your ear canal to check for active infections or damage to your eardrum.
• Hearing test: Audiometry is the main test. You wear headphones while listening to different sound levels and pitches to measure your hearing loss precisely.
• Tuning fork test: Your doctor taps a metal tuning fork and places it near your ear and skull to check how your bones transmit sound.
• Other tests: Your doctor may suggest a tympanometric test to check eardrum movement or a CT scan to view your tiny ear bones clearly.

What Happens During Surgery?

The entire surgery takes about one and a half to two hours. In many cases, you can return home on the very same afternoon. The surgical steps unfold in a straightforward way.

1. Numbing the area: As we mentioned, your care team numbs your ear completely so you feel no pain during the procedure.

2. Reaching your eardrum: Your surgeon uses a special microscope and tiny micro-instruments to access your eardrum through your ear canal.

3. Entering your middle ear: Next, your surgeon gently lifts your eardrum out of the way without harming it to see your tiny middle ear bones.

4. Replacing the stapes bone: Your surgeon removes the stuck stapes bone and places the custom-measured artificial prosthesis into position.

5. Finishing the surgery: Finally, your surgeon places your eardrum back in its normal spot and places a small medical packing inside your ear to support healing.

What Should You Do After Surgery?

You can go home once the numbing medicine wears off and you feel stable. Resting well during your first few days at home is very important. Your ear usually takes about six weeks to heal completely. Keep several key rules in mind during this recovery period.

Are There Risks With This Surgery?

Like any medical procedure, a stapedectomy carries some minor risks. However, this surgery has an impressive success rate of 80% to 90%. This means that out of ten patients, eight or nine experience great results. Still, rare complications can occur.

• Dizziness: You may feel mild dizziness for the first few days after surgery. This feeling usually goes away on its own.
• Taste changes: You might notice a temporary change or decrease in taste on one side of your tongue. This normal side effect improves over several months.
• Tinnitus: Some patients experience new or louder ringing sounds in their ear right after surgery.
• Lack of hearing improvement: A very small number of patients do not experience the expected hearing boost. In rare cases, hearing can become worse instead of better.

If the surgery does not succeed, your doctor can discuss other options, such as performing a revision procedure or fitting you with a helpful hearing aid.