Long-Term Results With Cryosurgery for Meniere's Disease

Abstract

Long-term follow-ups (one to four years) of 72 cryosurgical procedures for Meniere's disease revealed that surgery either completely eliminated the vertigo or substantially reduced the frequency and severity of the attacks in 76% of the cases. Cryosurgery appears to have no effect on hearing. If the hearing was stable prior to surgery, then it remained at the same level during the follow-up period. If hearing fluctuated prior to surgery, however, it generally continued to fluctuate afterwards. Of the 110 cryogenic procedures performed since May 1966, facial nerve complications occurred seven times. Total paralysis occurred twice and both patients recovered without treatment in six weeks. Five patients developed facial weakness nine to ten days after surgery and recovered spontaneously within two weeks.