Results of labyrinthectomy in the treatment of Menière's disease and delayed endolymphatic hydrops

Transmastoid total osseous labyrinthectomy for incapacitating unilateral Meniére's disease and the related clinical phenomenon of delayed endolymphatic hydrops (DEH) is a generally accepted treatment modality when hearing preservation is not an issue. Over the past 8 years, 25 patients (13 Meniére's and 12 DEH) underwent labyrinthectomy by the senior author (J.R.) at the Toronto Hospital. This retrospective study compares and contrasts these two clinical groups preoperatively and subsequently analyzes the results of labyrinthectomy. The patients' own responses to a specially designed questionnaire provided valuable insight into the efficacy of labyrinthectomy and into some of the long-term problems they experienced following surgery.