Korean J Anesthesiol.  2004 Nov;47(5):617-622. 10.4097/kjae.2004.47.5.617.

Effect of Thiopental Sodium on Hearing Outcomes Following Microvascular Decompression Surgery

Affiliations
  • 1Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. ktmin501@yumc.Yonsei.ac.kr
  • 2Anesthesia and Pain Research Institute, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The use of intraoperative brainstem auditory evoked potential (BAEP) has reduced the incidence of sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) after microvascular decompression (MVD). This complication occurs due to direct compressive and/or stretching injury of the cochlear nerve or to indirect compression of the perineural vasculature during cerebellar retraction. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of thiopental sodium on SNHL after MVD for hemifacial spasm.
METHODS
94 hemifacial spasm patients with normal hearing function preoperatively and who underwent MVD under intraoperative BAEP monitoring were enrolled in this study. Patients were randomly divided into two groups. 52 patients were administered placebo (control group) and 42 patients were administered thiopental sodium 5 mg/kg intravenously 5 minutes before cerebellar retraction (thiopental group). The effects of thiopental on intraoperative BAEP changes and postoperative hearing functional outcomes were sought. Incidence and degree of postoperative SNHL were evaluated by pure tone audiometry threshold analysis.
RESULTS
Maximal changes in intraoperative BAEP parameters did not differ between the two groups, and neither did the incidence nor degree of SNHL. In the control group, 4 transient and 4 permanent postoperative SNHL, including 2 deaf patients, occurred with an overall incidence of 15.4%. In the thiopental group, 2 transient and 1 permanent postoperative SNHL occurred, with an overall incidence of 7.1%.
CONCLUSIONS
Thiopental sodium administered prior to cerebellar retraction might reduce the incidence of postoperative hearing loss.

Keyword

brainstem auditory evoked potentials; microvascular decompression; sensorineural hearing loss; thiopental sodium

MeSH Terms

Audiometry
Cochlear Nerve
Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem
Hearing Loss
Hearing Loss, Sensorineural
Hearing*
Hemifacial Spasm
Humans
Incidence
Microvascular Decompression Surgery*
Thiopental*
Thiopental
Full Text Links
  • KJAE
Actions
Cited
CITED
export Copy
Close
Share
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
Similar articles
Copyright © 2024 by Korean Association of Medical Journal Editors. All rights reserved.     E-mail: koreamed@kamje.or.kr