Semicircular canal and vestibular plugging in patients with Meniere's disease: a preliminary study.

Background: Therapeutic options are limited for patients with intractable Meniere's disease who present with recurrent episodes of vertigo and drop attacks.

Aims/objectives: To investigate the effectiveness and safety of simultaneous semicircular canal plugging and vestibular plugging in the treatment of Meniere's disease with drop attacks.

Material and methods: This was a single-center study with a 6-month post-operative follow-up. It included five patients with intractable Meniere's disease who presented with recurrent vertigo and drop attacks. All patients underwent surgery of semicircular canal plugging and vestibular plugging. The main outcome measures were vertigo control, drop attack control, hearing, and vestibular function; they were evaluated pre- and post-operatively.

Results: Of the five patients, none had a recurrence of drop attacks; four had no recurrence of vertigo, and one patient had one episode of vertigo. Two patients had residual hearing before surgery, which was preserved postoperatively. All patients showed altered results in vestibular tests.

Conclusions: Semicircular canal plugging and vestibular plugging appear to be an effective treatment for intractable Meniere's disease presenting with recurrent vertigo and drop attacks. More studies are needed to confirm these results.

Significance: This novel surgical procedure can control vestibular symptoms of Meniere's disease while hopefully preserving the hearing function.