Lateral semicircular canal plugging with endolymphatic sac decompression as new surgical treatment for intractable Meniere's disease

Conclusion: Lateral canal plugging with endolymphatic sac decompression (LCPESD) is a new therapeutic approach to intractable Meniere's disease. Further clinical data will be required. Objective: The objective of this paper is to present a new surgical procedure, i.e. lateral canal plugging (LCP) with endolymphatic sac decompression (ESD), which we defined as LCPESD. Two cases of intractable Meniere's disease, a 48-year-old male and a 48-year-old female, were successfully treated by this method. Methods: LCPESD was performed under general anesthesia. First ESD was undertaken followed by LCP. The bone was drilled up to the 'blue line' in the central portion of the bony lateral canal; then a 2 mm segment of canal was skeletonized to create a fenestra. A plug comprising temporalis fascia, bone pate, and fibrinogen glue was inserted through the fenestra to compress the endosteum and membranous labyrinth. Results: The attack of Meniere's disease was completely controlled and the hearing threshold did not change after the surgery for 2 years. Obliteration of the horizontal canal was confirmed by MRI.