Long-term deterioration of bone-conduction hearing level in patients with labyrinthine fistula

The postoperative air-bone gap was ≤10 dB in one patient, between 11 and 20 dB in seven, between 21 and 30 dB in four, and ≥31 dB in two. Mean bone-conduction hearing levels on the operated side had deteriorated by 3, −1 and −2 dB at 1, 2 and 4 kHz, respectively at 1 year postoperatively, and by 8, 6 and 2 dB at 1, 2 and 4 kHz, at 5 years postoperatively. Bone-conduction hearing levels at 1 and 2 kHz were significantly deteriorated at 5 years postoperatively, compared with baseline and 1 year (P < 0.05).