It wasn’t until I was personally affected that I learned their proper names​—malleus, incus, and stapes. The stapes (or stirrup) is the final link in the middle-ear transducer chain. Usually, otosclerosis spreads to the stapes, and as the bone hardens, the vibrations it transfers to the fluid of the inner ear become less and less intense, resulting in a conductive hearing loss. Stapedial otosclerosis is one type of conductive hearing impairment that is usually correctable by surgery.

One of the first things I learned was what is meant by a conductive hearing impairment. Simply, it means that sounds are not conducted through the middle ear because of some condition that blocks them out. But if there still is good nerve function, then one is a good candidate for surgery. Happily, I had good nerve function.

Removing the Stapes

I had imagined that all would be quiet during the stapes operation, but just the opposite happened. Under local anesthesia, I heard loud noises as the doctor, using a microscope and working through the ear canal, removed the stapes and replaced it with a wire prosthesis. Then, abruptly, while still on the operating table, I heard a voice clear as a bell​—the doctor speaking to his nurse. Next, he asked me: “How is that?” “I can hear everything!” I blurted out. He warned me, though, that soon my hearing would regress because of swelling in the ear and that it might be a few weeks before hearing improvement would again be apparent.

Before the doctor left the operating room, he handed me my stapes in a little plastic container.

[Diagrams on page 21]

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The Stapes Operation

Step 1: stapes otosclerosis

Step 2: stapes removed

Step 3: wire replacing stapes