Concierge ENT · UK
Stapedectomy - restoring hearing in otosclerosis.
Removal of the fixed stapes bone and placement of a small prosthesis to restore sound conduction. A consultant otologist, a proper operating microscope, and audiology in place before and after.
Why patients choose us
- 01
A high-volume otologist, in theatre
A consultant ear surgeon who does dozens of stapes cases each year - not a generalist ENT list. The margin for error is measured in tenths of a millimetre.
- 02
Full audiology before you consent
Pure-tone, speech, tympanometry and reflexes. We rule in otosclerosis and rule out superior canal dehiscence before you sign a consent form.
- 03
Independent, and free
We are paid by no clinic, so the recommendation - and whether a hearing aid trial fits first - is impartial and costs you nothing.
Indicative pricing
What a private stapedectomy costs in the UK.
Indicative ranges across our partner units. Send the details and we quote firm figures across two or three options, with cover checked.
In short
A day-case stapedectomy in our network: £6,500–£10,500, home day-case or one night.
| Procedure | Indicative range | Typical duration | Stay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stapedectomy (unilateral, day-case) | £6,500–£10,500 | 45–90 min | Day-case or 1 night |
| Stapedectomy with overnight stay | £7,500–£11,500 | 45–90 min | 1 night |
| Revision stapedectomy | £8,500–£13,000 | 60–120 min | 1 night |
| Diagnostic audiology package | £250–£450 | 45–60 min | Same visit |
| ENT consultation only | £220–£400 | 30–45 min | Same visit |
| Temporal bone CT (fine-cut) | £450–£750 | 15 min | Report in 3–5 days |
Prices vary by hospital, by the consultant, by approach, and by whether adjunct services are needed. We come back with a firm quote within one working day.
The problem
The right patient, the right prosthesis, and the right surgeon for a delicate ear.
Stapedectomy is a two-millimetre operation. Volume, microscope work and vestibular rehabilitation all matter - and general ENT lists rarely deliver all three.
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A confirmed otosclerosis diagnosis first
Air-bone gap on audiometry, normal tympanogram, absent stapedial reflex. We insist on the workup before consenting to surgery.
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Prosthesis choice matters
A fluoroplastic-platinum piston is the workhorse. Length and diameter are chosen intraoperatively - not from a catalogue.
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Vertigo is not just the operation
Short-lived imbalance is normal. Persistent vertigo needs vestibular therapy, not reassurance and a wait.
The journey
From enquiry to recovery - what happens, in order.
One team from first message through follow-up and rehabilitation.
Phase 1 · Before your treatment
Assessment, imaging and planning
Phase 2 · On the day
Treatment and recovery
Phase 3 · After
Review and follow-up
- 01
Before
You tell us what is going on
A short, confidential form: hearing history, family history of otosclerosis, tinnitus, any prior audiograms.
- 02
Before
We come back with a plan
Within one working day: whether audiology is complete, which consultant otologist we recommend, an indicative price, and a hearing aid trial if that is the better first step.
- 03
Before
Diagnostic audiology and CT if needed
Pure-tone, speech, tympanometry, reflexes. A fine-cut temporal bone CT where dehiscence or malformation is suspected.
- 04
Before
Consent and side selection
The worse-hearing ear is done first - usually with the patient awake under sedation so hearing can be tested on the table.
- 05
On the day
Admission and surgery
Same-day admission. Transcanal microscopic approach, 45–90 minutes. A small piece of stapes is removed and a piston prosthesis crimped onto the incus.
- 06
On the day
Recovery and discharge
Home the same day or after one night. Ear packing, written aftercare, antiemetic prescription for the first 48 hours.
- 07
After
Audiology at six weeks
Wound review at 1–2 weeks. Audiogram at 6 weeks confirms closure of the air-bone gap. Second-ear surgery, if needed, no sooner than 6 months later.
Typical end-to-end: 2–4 weeks from enquiry to treatment.
When it helps
When stapedectomy is the right step.
The situations we see most, plus the one red flag that needs urgent attention rather than a routine booking.
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Otosclerosis with conductive loss
Progressive hearing loss with an air-bone gap, family history, worse in one ear - the classic profile for stapes surgery.
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Mixed hearing loss from otosclerosis
When cochlear otosclerosis is added to the fixation, stapedectomy still helps the conductive component. Expectations are set carefully.
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Failed hearing aid trial
A hearing aid that gives poor speech clarity or feedback, or that the patient will not wear - surgery becomes the better option.
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Tinnitus with otosclerosis
Tinnitus often improves after successful stapes surgery, though it is never a stand-alone indication.
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Second-ear surgery
A stable, well-hearing first ear at 6 months or more, and a patient who wants to close the gap on the second side.
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Revision after prosthesis displacement
A prosthesis that has slipped, extruded or become fibrosed. Revision is technically harder and is done only by high-volume otologists.
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Young adults with hereditary otosclerosis
Otosclerosis often shows up in the twenties and thirties. Surgery delays or prevents the need for aids for decades.
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Red flag: sudden sensorineural loss
Sudden severe hearing loss, spinning vertigo or facial weakness after ear surgery - same-day team or A&E, not routine follow-up.
Options
Approach and technique both depend on the indication.
What each option involves - the surgical or clinical approach, and how it is tailored to each patient.
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Traditional microdrill stapedectomy
The stapes footplate is removed and replaced with a prosthesis. The classic technique, still preferred in some hands for stubborn footplate anatomy.
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Small-fenestra stapedotomy
A tiny hole is made in the footplate rather than removing it. Lower risk profile - covered on our dedicated stapedotomy page.
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Piston prosthesis
Fluoroplastic-platinum piston, 4.0–4.5 mm long and 0.4–0.6 mm wide. The workhorse for both stapedectomy and stapedotomy.
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Self-crimping designs
Nitinol shape-memory pistons reduce incus trauma. Chosen by surgeon preference and revision anatomy.
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Local versus general anaesthetic
Local with sedation keeps the patient responsive so hearing can be tested on the table. Some patients prefer GA - both are safe.
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Endoscopic stapes surgery
An emerging minimally invasive alternative. Not yet standard in the UK - offered by a small number of high-volume units.
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Revision stapedectomy
For a displaced or fibrosed prosthesis. Success rates are lower and dizziness risk higher - reserved for experienced otologists.
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Second-side surgery
Offered when the first ear has settled with a good result at 6 months or more. Sequential, never bilateral in the same sitting.
Our vetted UK network
A small panel of specialists, we picked them.
Consultant-led services across London and the major UK cities. Introductions are made privately, once we understand your case.
Selection criteria
How we choose every specialist in our network.
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Consultant otologists with high stapes-surgery volume, not general ENT lists
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Full audiology on site - pure-tone, speech, tympanometry, reflexes - before consent
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Vestibular therapy referral built into the pathway for post-operative imbalance
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Multidisciplinary review for revision cases and complex anatomy
Safety and recovery
What to expect afterwards - honestly.
A well-established treatment. The things worth planning are the approach, the aftercare and the follow-up.
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Local sedation or GA - either is safe
Local with sedation lets the surgeon test hearing on the table. GA is fine for anxious patients. Day-case is standard.
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Hearing gain, and residual air-bone gap
Around 90 percent of first-time cases close the air-bone gap to within 10 dB. A small number get partial gain or none.
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Sensorineural loss - the one that matters
Total (dead-ear) sensorineural loss occurs in about 1 percent of first-time cases. This is the risk that shapes the consent conversation.
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Vertigo and imbalance
Short-lived dizziness in most, settling in 1–2 weeks. Persistent vertigo needs vestibular rehabilitation, not reassurance.
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Taste change
The chorda tympani nerve runs through the field. A metallic or altered taste on one side of the tongue occurs in up to 10 percent and usually resolves in months.
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Perilymph fistula
A rare leak of inner-ear fluid causing fluctuating hearing or dizziness. Managed with bed rest first, revision if it persists.
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Tinnitus - often better, sometimes worse
Most patients report improvement. A small number find tinnitus louder after surgery - expectations are set honestly.
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Second-ear timing
No sooner than six months after a successful first side, and only with a stable audiogram. Bilateral same-day surgery is not standard.
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Red flags after surgery
Sudden hearing drop, spinning vertigo, facial weakness, foul-smelling discharge or severe pain need the same-day team or A&E.
Reading your notes
Your notes in four parts. Read the last one first.
Whichever approach was used, the note the consultant sends you keeps to the same shape.
A quiet reminder
Clinical language is precise and can read coldly - we translate it for you.
If you would like us to talk you through the notes before your review, just ask.
- 01 Header
Indication and side
Which ear was operated on, why the operation was done, and whether it was a primary or revision procedure.
- 02 Technique
Approach, prosthesis and findings
Transcanal microscopic approach, the prosthesis type and length, and what the surgeon saw - footplate thickness, obliteration, any anatomical variant.
- 03 Findings
Intraoperative hearing test
Where local anaesthesia is used, an on-the-table hearing check documents the immediate improvement in air conduction.
- 04 Impression
Aftercare and audiology plan
Read this first: activity restrictions, when to fly, and the six-week audiogram appointment that confirms the gap has closed.
Recognised by major UK insurers
Stapedectomy is usually covered when medically indicated for otosclerosis with a documented air-bone gap. Revision surgery may need pre-authorisation. We confirm cover before booking.
Frequently asked
Everything we get asked about stapedectomy.
Quick answers on suitability, technique, cost and recovery.
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How much does a private stapedectomy cost in the UK?
Roughly £6,500–£10,500 as a day-case, and £7,500–£11,500 with an overnight stay. Revision stapedectomy is £8,500–£13,000. Diagnostic audiology and a temporal bone CT are extra where needed. We confirm a firm figure within one working day.
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How successful is stapedectomy at improving hearing?
In first-time cases performed by high-volume otologists, around 90 percent of patients close the air-bone gap to within 10 dB - a real, measurable improvement in hearing. Revision surgery has lower success rates.
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What is the risk of losing all hearing in the operated ear?
Total (dead-ear) sensorineural loss occurs in about 1 percent of first-time stapedectomies. It is the single risk that shapes the consent conversation - which is why we operate on the worse-hearing ear first and space the second side by at least six months.
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Stapedectomy or stapedotomy - what is the difference?
Stapedectomy removes the whole stapes footplate; stapedotomy makes a small laser hole in it. Modern practice favours laser stapedotomy in most cases, but traditional stapedectomy still has a role in specific footplate anatomy. We match approach to your ear.
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How long is recovery from stapedectomy?
Back to office work in one week, back to full activity by 3–4 weeks. No swimming for 6 weeks, no flying for 4–6 weeks, and no heavy lifting or straining for 2 weeks. Driving when you feel steady - usually a few days.
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Will I have vertigo after stapedectomy?
Mild dizziness for a few days is expected and usually settles in 1–2 weeks. Persistent vertigo beyond that needs vestibular rehabilitation and a review with your otologist. Severe spinning with hearing loss is urgent.
Related treatments
Looking for something else?
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Stapedotomy
Modern laser stapedotomy alternative.
Learn more -
Cochlear implants
When hearing loss is beyond stapes surgery.
Learn more -
Ear infection treatment
Chronic and recurrent ear infections.
Learn more -
Hearing aid fitting and repair
When aids are the right first step.
Learn more -
Hearing therapy
Rehabilitation and support after surgery.
Learn more -
All tests & procedures
Every test and procedure we arrange.
Learn more