Purpose: This is an analysis of high-resolution computed tomography (HR-CT) of patients with and without symptoms after stapes surgery in the early postoperative phase. Methods: We examined 37 patients who underwent stapes surgery between January 1995 and December 2000. HR-CT of the temporal bone was performed with 1 mm slice thickness and table feed in axial and coronal planes. A re-operation was performed in 7 patients. CT findings were compared with clinical follow up and operative findings. Results: All patients showed postoperative opacifications of the tympanic cavity, external auditory canal and partly of the mastoid on CT-scans. In 11 cases, there was a dislocation of the prosthesis. 5 patients showed air bubbles in the vestibule. In one case, small bone fragments were detected in the vestibule. In 6 of 7 cases, CT results were confirmed by retympanotomy. Conclusion: Due to an overlapping of normal and pathological findings in the early postoperative phase, there are only limited indication for HR-CT in this period. |