Endolymphatic sac decompression is indicated in Meniere’s disease with frequent and severe vertigo attacks, ineffective long-term conservative treatment, tinnitus and severe deafness. Endolymphatic sac decompression is a surgical procedure for hearing preservation and vestibular function preservation. In patients with established hearing loss, this procedure has no role in improving hearing.
The underlying pathology of Meniere’s disease is hydrops of the membranous labyrinth, and the common symptoms are sudden rotational vertigo, fluctuating hearing loss, tinnitus, and a feeling of ear stuffiness. The site of the underlying pathologic changes is found mainly in the cochlea and the balloon (i.e., the lower half of the labyrinth), whereas in the ellipsoidal sac and the 3 semicircular canals (i.e., the upper half of the labyrinth), as well as in the endolymphatic sac, the effusion is not evident.
Endolymphatic sac decompression, which is based on the principle of decompression by opening the endolymphatic sac, addressing endolymphatic drainage and relieving the fluid buildup, thereby reducing the symptoms of vertigo and tinnitus in the inner ear. When permanent hearing loss has occurred, endolymphatic sac decompression does not improve hearing, but hearing is preserved in the majority of patients, with less than 25% experiencing postoperative hearing loss.
If you are suffering from Meniere’s disease and need to choose surgical treatment, you need to undergo a systematic examination and comprehensive evaluation, and then follow the doctor’s instructions to standardize the diagnosis and treatment.