Am J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg | Volume 4, Issue 5 | Research Article | Open Access
AA Schenck1,2*, CC Bommeljé1, JM Kruyt1,2,3, JP Koopman1, R Rashid1,2, PP van Benthem2 and HM Blom1,2,4
1Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Haga Hospital, The Hague,
2Department of Otorhinolargyngology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, the Netherlands
3Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Haaglanden Medical Centre, The Hague, the Netherlands
4Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Antwerp University Hospital, Antwerp, Belgium
*Correspondance to: Annejet Schenck
Fulltext PDFPurpose: The objective of this paper is to assess quality of life, subjective complaints and objective hearing after treatment with endolymphatic duct blockage in patients with intractable Ménière’s disease.
Methods: This is a retrospective observational study using questionnaires (the MDOQ and a selfdeveloped questionnaire) and hearing tests, carried out in a secondary referral center with expertise in Ménière’s disease. Patients with definite Ménière’s disease who underwent endolymphatic duct blockage were included. Questionnaire scores and bone conduction Pure Tone Average (PTA) before and after EDB surgery were calculated and compared.
Results: Twenty-six patients who had undergone EDB participated in this study; 23 (88%) experienced improvement in quality of life after surgery. The mean change in MDOQ score was +37.1 points (95% CI +28.5 to +46.5, p<0.05); no one reported worse quality of life after surgery. Twenty-two patients (85%) experienced less complaints of vertigo after EDB, of whom 10 were completely free of vertigo directly after surgery. The mean difference in hearing pre- and postoperatively was less than a decibel. The majority of patients had less complaints of instability after EDB, and experienced no change in tinnitus.
Conclusion: EDB leads to significant improvement in quality of life of patients with Ménière’s disease, even though some patients require additional treatment. The effect on hearing and subjective complaints varies. More research, especially prospective studies, on EDB should be performed.
Ménière’s disease; Endolymphatic duct blockage; Surgical intervention; Quality of life; Hearing
Schenck A. Outcomes of Endolymphatic Duct Blockage for Ménière’s Disease: An Observational Cohort Study. Am J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2021;4(5): 1140..