Fenestration of the Oval Window for Increasing Sound Conduction to the Cochlea

Abstract

In a recent communication¹ observations were reported on the technique, indications, and results of successful fenestration of the oval window in 10 cases of otosclerotic deafness. In these 10 cases, fenestration of the oval window restored the hearing after all attempts to mobilize the stapedial footplate had failed. In five of the patients in this series the crura had fractured, while in the remaining five the crura were intact. The hearing improved in these patients from preoperative levels of 65 db. loss to 15 db. postoperatively, and the improvement has been maintained for periods up to a year. The fenestra ovalis opening is made by penetrating through the center or the inferior margin of the stapedial footplate into the vestibule for less than a millimeter (Figs. 1 and 2). The previously cited report described the use of the sharp-pointed explorer in creating the fenestra of the oval window. Through