Background: Our aim was to investigate the differences in postoperative hearing thresholds in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting with (Group I, n=20) or without (Group II, n=17) extracorporeal circulation.
Material/methods: 37 patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting with or without extracorporeal circulation were prospectively evaluated in terms of hearing threshold changes with the intention of documenting hearing losses postoperatively. The t-test for two independent variables was used for statistical analysis.
Results: Hearing threshold changes were detected in 9 Group I patients (45%) and 3 Group II patients (17.65%). The difference between the two groups was statistically significant (p=0.0426).
Conclusions: Postoperative hearing threshold changes, not necessarily revealed by clinical examinations, are encountered after coronary artery bypass grafting operations. Extracorporeal circulation usage seems to bring an additional risk in terms of hearing loss.