Surgical labyrinthectomy efficient, safe for Meniere disease

For patients with Meniere disease (MD), surgical labyrinthectomy (SL) is efficient and safe, according to a study published online Nov. 2 in the European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology.

Valentine Léonard, from the Université Catholique de Louvain in Belgium, and colleagues conducted a retrospective cohort study involving 25 patients with disabling and drug-resistant MD who underwent SL performed by a single surgeon. Subjective and objective measures were compared before and after surgery.

The researchers observed a significant difference in the Dizziness Handicap Inventory scores before and after surgery. Overall, 81 percent of patients were satisfied with surgery.

There were no postoperative complications reported. Fourteen patients evolved well, both subjectively and clinically, following SL, with no further vestibular workup required; other patients were offered further vestibular workup. All patients had total deafness on the operated side; four benefited from multidisciplinary rehabilitation due to persistent tinnitus.

"SL appears to be an effective and low-risk treatment for patients with unilateral disabling MD, resistant to conventional medical treatments, and nonfunctional hearing," the authors write.