Type of Surgery
Information
Last updated: 11/24/2009
An endolymphatic shunt is placed with the patient under general anesthesia. The operation takes about two hours to perform. The patient is usually positioned lying on the back with the head turned to one side and the affected ear lying uppermost. The...
head is immobilized and supported with a pad or brace. The operation itself begins with opening the mastoid bone and identifying the endolymphatic sac. To find the sac, the surgeon removes the bony cover of the sigmoid sinus, which is an S-shaped cavity behind the mastoid bone. The surgeon leaves intact a small rectangle of thin bone called Bill's Island (named for Dr. William House). The sigmoid sinus is then collapsed with gentle pressure. The surgeon exposes the endolymphatic sac and makes an incision in it in order to insert the shunt.
Advertisement
This narrated 3D animation shows how the brain drives the specialized nerve cells of the pituitary gland and, in turn, how the pituitary gland effects other endocrine glands. The feedback regulation of the endocrine system is also described.
Search
Other Information
Definition
An endolymphatic shunt is a surgical procedure in which a very small silicone tube is placed in the membranous labyrinth of the inner ear to drain excess fluid.
Purpose
An endolymphatic shunt is placed as part of the treatment of Ménière's disease, a disorder of the inner ear whose causes are still unknown. Ménière's disease is characterized by the following symptoms:
a rise in the level of endolymphatic fluid in the labyrinth of the inner ear
hearing loss that comes and goes
a sensation that the environment or oneself is revolving or spinning (vertigo)
ringing, buzzing, or hissing noises in the ears (tinnitus)
a feeling that the ears are blocked or plugged
Endolymphatic shunt surgery is one of the surgical procedures available to treat Ménière's disease, which is also known as endolymphatic hydrops. The surgery is based on the theory that the disorder causes the inner ear to become overloaded with fluid and that draining this fluid will relieve the symptoms. The fluid is drained by opening the endolymphatic sac, a pouch located next to the mastoid bone at the end of the endolymphatic duct. The endolymphatic duct is a canal that leads to the inner ear.
From http://www.healthline.com/galecontent/endolymphatic-shunt
Other Information
The development of the operative plan for a type of complex procedure requires weeks of planning and extensive study of the recipient patient’s clinical exam, radiological studies, and prior operative history.
-Dr. Daniel Alam
Find a Qualified Specialist
Looking for a specialist?
Please enter your zip code.