Topical Dexamethasone During Stapedotomy in Patients With Otosclerosis: A Randomized Clinical Trial

ABSTRACT Objectives To investigate the effect of topical dexamethasone on improving hearing outcomes and alleviating postoperative symptoms in patients diagnosed with otosclerosis who have undergone stapedotomy. Study Design Randomized, single‐blinded clinical trial Methods Seventy patients diagnosed with otosclerosis were randomly divided into intervention and control groups and underwent stapedotomy with or without topical dexamethasone, respectively. Hearing outcomes and postoperative pain, vertigo, and tinnitus were compared. Results The mean improvement in the air‐bone gap (ABG) was 23.53 ± 8.70 dB in the intervention group and 18.95 ± 11.66 dB in the control group, with no statistically significant difference between the two groups (0.087). Speech Reception Threshold (SRT) and Word Recognition Score (WRS) improved more significantly in the dexamethasone group ( p < 0.001 and p = 0.004, respectively). Postoperative tinnitus and vertigo were significantly lower in the dexamethasone group ( p = 0.032 and p < 0.001, respectively). Conclusion Applying dexamethasone during stapedotomy can reduce post‐operative vertigo and tinnitus. Although hearing outcomes were better in the intervention group, there was no statistically significant difference in ABG improvement between the two groups. Level of Evidence 2.