(0329) Role of Hearing Loss in Otolaryngology Surgical Outcomes

Introduction: The role of hearing loss (HL) in surgical outcomes is not well studied and could greatly impact the lives of patients with HL in the postoperative setting.

Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study of patients older than 18 years who underwent subspecialty surgery in otolaryngology. Patients were recruited from 58 health care organizations in the TriNetX Research Network. Analysis was performed on data from January 2003 to January 2024. The TriNetX Research Network was queried to identify patients with a history of either facial Plastics, rhinology, laryngology, head & neck (HN), and sleep medicine surgical procedures with HL between 2003 and 2024. Specific HL included conductive, sensorineural, and presbycusis. Cohorts were then matched for demographics including age, gender, ethnicity, and comorbidities using CPT and ICD-10 codes. The incidence of post-surgical complications within 30 days of procedure were compared between patients who had HL and those who did not.

Results: Rates of postop infection were higher in patients who had HL after HN procedures compared to those who did not (OR 1.374, [1.141 – 1.654], p < 0.001). Emergency Department visits after surgery were higher in the HL cohort for HN (OR 1.336, [1.201 – 1.486], p < 0.0001), rhinology (OR 1.144, [1.035 – 1.264], p < 0.01), and facial plastics (OR 1.189, [1.094 – 1.292], p < 0.0001). Rates of wound disruption and treatment of superficial wounds (such as wound packing and dehiscence) was higher in patients who had HL after HN procedures compared to those who did not (OR 1.309, [1.014 – 1.691], p < 0.05).

Conclusions: Patients with HL had a higher risk of ED visits with HN, facial plastics, and rhinology procedures. The rate of infection and dehiscence was higher in the HL cohort for HN.