ROUND AND OVAL WINDOW REINFORCEMENT

Course overview

ROUND AND OVAL WINDOW REINFORCEMENT IS A SURGICAL PROCEDURE EMPLOYED AS A THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTION FOR VARIOUS OTOLOGIC DISORDERS. WHILE THIS PROCEDURE IS MOST COMMONLY PERFORMED ON PATIENTS WITH BOTHERSOME HYPERACUSIS, PATIENTS WITH AUTOPHONY DUE TO UNDERLYING THIRD WINDOW PHENOMENA SUCH AS SEMICIRCULAR CANAL DEHISCENCE, PERILYMPHATIC FISTULA, OR ENLARGEMENT OF THE VESTIBULAR AQUEDUCT MAY ALSO BENEFIT FROM ROUND AND OVAL WINDOW REINFORCEMENT. WHEN ROUND AND OVAL WINDOW REINFORCEMENT IS PERFORMED BY AN EXPERIENCED PRACTITIONER, GREATER THAN 80% OF APPROPRIATELY SELECTED PATIENTS REPORT SYMPTOMATIC IMPROVEMENT. ROUND AND OVAL WINDOW REINFORCEMENT PROCEDURES ARE GENERALLY WELL-TOLERATED WITH LOW SURGICAL RISK PROFILES. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE ANATOMY, PHYSIOLOGY, AND PATHOPHYSIOLOGY RELEVANT TO HYPERACUSIS AND AUTOPHONY, THE INDICATIONS, CONTRAINDICATIONS, COMPLICATIONS, AND PROCEDURAL TECHNIQUE OF ROUND AND OVAL WINDOW REINFORCEMENT, AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN IMPROVING OUTCOMES FOR PATIENTS UNDERGOING THIS PROCEDURE.