comparison of the effectiveness of teflon piston and titanium stapes prosthesis in hearing improvement

background & objectives: the aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of two stapes prostheses in hearing improvement of patients undergoing stapes surgery for otosclerosis.   materials & methods: in this retrospective and descriptive study, the charts of 291 stapedectomies performed by one surgeon (first author) from 1997 to 2011 in imam khomeini and apadana hospitals of ahvaz were reviewed. results: a total of 278 patients, including 172 females (61.9%) and 106 males (38.1%) undergoing stapedectomy or stapedotomy were evaluated in this study. subjects were 18-69 years old with the mean age of 35.4 years. the study group was comprised of 32 titanium stapesprosthesis and 246 teflon piston prostheses. closure of the air-bone gap to less than 10 db was achieved in 207 cases (84.1%) of the patients with teflon piston prosthesis compared with 21 cases (65.6%) of those with titanium stapes prostheses. deafness occurred in two patients (0.71%) after the surgery. conclusions: both prostheses provided comparable results. the smaller numbers in the titanium group may confound these results. the selection bias may also influence the results seen in this study. the titanium stapes prosthesis is a good alternative to teflon piston prosthesis.