How is vestibular peripheral vertigo treated surgically?

  According to Aggarwal, the prevalence of vertigo is about 5-8%. Jonsson et al. showed that the prevalence of vertigo increases significantly with age, with a prevalence of 33.3% in the age group of 70 years, rising to 50% after 85 years.  The vestibular vertigo can be divided into vestibular peripheral vertigo and vestibular central vertigo, and vestibular peripheral vertigo mainly includes Meniere’s disease, benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, and vestibular dysfunction caused by cranial trauma and otologic disorders. Among them, the prevalence of Meniere’s disease is 1-1.6%o, accounting for 60% of otogenic vertigo; BPPV accounts for 34% of the total number of vertigo. Vertigo disorders are of increasing concern because of their high prevalence and their impact on patients’ work as well as their quality of life.  Vestibular peripheral vertigo is usually treated conservatively by internal medicine, but some refractory vertigo can be treated surgically when medication is ineffective and seriously affects the patient’s work and life. According to studies, about 20% of Meniere patients need surgical treatment to control vertigo symptoms while avoiding further hearing loss, and about 10% of BPPV patients need surgical treatment to control vertigo symptoms. Although the percentage of vertigo patients requiring surgical treatment is not high, considering the high prevalence of vertigo, it can be said that the number of vertigo patients requiring surgical treatment is a large group.  Currently, the following surgical treatments for vestibular peripheral vertigo are available: endolymphatic bursal shunt, posterior semicircular canal obstruction, vestibular neurectomy, and chemical vagotomy. Endolymphatic bursa shunt is a simple procedure that does not affect hearing and has a 75% control rate of vertigo, and is considered the first choice for surgical treatment of Meniere’s disease; posterior semicircular canal obstruction is mainly used to treat BPPV; vestibular neurotomy can theoretically treat all vestibular peripheral vertigo, but it requires craniotomy; chemical vagotomy is a simple procedure that can be treated on an outpatient basis and has a control rate of vertigo of 81.7%. Chemical vestibular disruption is a simple, outpatient procedure with a vertigo control rate of 81.7%, but it also leads to hearing loss. The choice of surgical treatment for vestibular peripheral vertigo is still controversial, and the efficacy of surgical treatment needs to be further investigated.  In view of the current situation of surgical treatment of vertigo, the Department of Otorhinolaryngology, together with the neurological and surgical specialties, is carrying out surgical treatment of vestibular peripheral vertigo to relieve the pain of vertigo patients.