Results of a survey published in the August 2007 issue of Otology & Neurotology indicates that the Meniett^® Low Pressure Pulse Generator manufactured by Medtronic Inc is the preferred treatment method after diet modification for patients diagnosed with Ménière's disease in an only hearing ear. The survey was conducted among a nonrandom sample of clinically active members of the American Otological Society and the American Neurotology Society by researchers from the Division of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery at Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center.

Dietary modification was recommended as first-line therapy by 99% of the survey respondents, including moderate to strict salt restriction, decreased caffeine intake and avoidance of alcohol. A diuretic was also recommended by 96% of respondents. When asked what they would offer if initial treatment failed, respondents chose the Meniett® device first and most frequently over therapies such as intratympanic corticosteroids, endolymphatic sac mastoid shunt, intratympanic gentamicin perfusion, and endolymphatic sac vein decompression.

“We agree that the Meniett^® makes the most sense as the second-line treatment of choice for this difficult problem,” says Jon Isaacson, MD, associate professor of Surgery and director of Otology/Neurotology at Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center and co-conductor of the survey. “It has demonstrative efficacy and a low-risk profile.”

Approximately 2.6 million people in the United States and Europe suffer from Ménière’s disease, a disorder associated with excess fluid in the inner ear. This complex disease is characterized by vertigo in combination with hearing loss, tinnitus, and pressure in the ear. The origin is unknown and there is no cure, which makes managing the disease difficult when symptoms are severe. Unpredictable vertigo attacks with nausea and vomiting can be very debilitating, with patients unable to work or perform routine activities.

SOURCE: Business Wire