The
stapes (small bone in photograph to the right) is one of the three bones in the
middle ear. It transmits
sound from the
incus
to the
inner ear. In a disease called
otosclerosis,
it becomes fixed and does not transmit sound as
efficiently. A
stapedectomy
is a procedure which removes a portion
of this bone and places a prosthesis to transmit the sound (a House Wire
Prosthesis
is shown in the photograph to the right). The
disease is most commonly found in young women. It is often made
worse by pregnancy and the use of birth control pills.
Otosclerosis
was once very common, but with fluoridation of drinking water the disease
has all but disappeared.
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Stapes
surgery involves removing the top part of
the stapes and either removing all or placing a hole in the
stapedial footplate.
This open the
inner ear. A
prosthesis
is then
suspended from the long arm of the
incus
and placed though the
footplate
into the
inner ear. The attachment of the
prosthesis
to the
incus
is one of the hardest parts of the operation. If the
prosthesis
is
attached to loose, it may fall off. If it is attached and the
incus
sustains too much trauma, the
incus
may die and the
prosthesis
will fall off. Below are three new methods to aid in the
attachment of the
prosthesis
to the
incus.
Hand Stable Instruments allow for easier and more accurate crimping of
the
prosthesis
to the
incus. The "reverse action" of these
microsurgical instruments are designed to help stabilize the surgeon's
hand during ear and
Stapes
surgery, reducing tremors and increasing the
accuracy of the surgeon.
Learn more about hand stable instruments at
www.handstable.com
Complications of
stapedectomy
include: Numbness on the side of the tongue, dizziness,
hearing loss, deafness and a hole in the eardrum. Rarely, facial paralysis
and
meningitis
(a brain infection) can occur.
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