Surgery of the endolymphatic sac and preservation of hearing in endolymphatic hydrops

Vertigo is the most important symptom of Ménière's disease both from the standpoint of follow-up and indication for surgery. But although vertigo is an alerting symptom for both the patient and the physician, we believe that the hearing level is the most reliable and even the single sign in determining the recent status of the disease. Between 1983-1989, 42 patients with various types of Ménière's disease (MD) (34 typical MD, 3 cochlear MD and 3 vestibular MD) underwent endolymphatic sac surgery at ENT department of Gazi University School of Medicine. In the typical MD group, patients with a duration of symptoms of less than one year prior to surgery revealed better postoperative results; 91% fell into class A and B, whereas this rate was found to be lower (40%) in patients with symptomatology lasting for more than one year. In conclusion, especially in bilateral cases, given the importance of the hearing, early sac surgery is thoroughly recommended for the conservation of hearing.