| Long-term efficacy of Meniett therapy shown by new study
in The Journal of Laryngology and Otology1
Significant, long-term improvement in vertigo symptoms and
functionality
Results of an 18-month study published in the May 2005 issue of
The Journal of Laryngology and Otology demonstrate that 67 percent of patients who used the Meniett® Low-Pressure Pulse Generator to control their symptoms of Ménière's Disease experienced a significant improvement in vertigo and functionality levels. Twenty-seven percent of patients also experienced a significant improvement in hearing. Severe vertigo, which can cause nausea and vomiting, is considered by many patients to be the most problematic symptom of Ménière's Disease. All patients in the study had exhausted medical therapy options prior to enrolling in the study. There were no complications from Meniett therapy.
For a minimum of 18 months, the study evaluated 18 people with established Ménière's Disease in one ear that was unresponsive to medical therapy. Two weeks before Meniett treatments were begun, all participants had a ventilation tube inserted into the affected ear (necessary for the pressure therapy to reach the inner ear). Each patient was evaluated before Meniett therapy, at which time their vertigo, functionality, and hearing levels were assessed. Once patients began using the Meniett device, their vertigo symptoms, functionality levels, and hearing were evaluated again at six months, 12 months, and 18 months.
"According to this independent study, the Meniett device seems to be a minimally invasive, non-destructive treatment tool, which can reduce vertigo and associated functional handicap in Ménière's Disease. These effects are maintained up to 18 months after treatment so far," writes Gunesh Rajan, MD, principal investigator of the study and professor of otolaryngology-head and neck surgery at the Lions Ear and Hearing Institute – Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, University of Western Australia in Australia.
Twelve of the 18 participants experienced a significant reduction in vertigo severity and significantly increased functionality level after they began Meniett therapy. The remaining six patients in the study experienced no improvement; however, four of these had invasive surgical procedures prior to the study and two of these patients had undergone previous gentamicin injection treatment. "Previous surgical or chemical vestibular ablation procedures may adversely influence the effect of the Meniett device," Ganesh notes.
Few Treatment Options Available for Perplexing Disease
More than 600,000 Americans suffer from Ménière's Disease, an inner ear disorder that can cause debilitating vertigo with nausea and
vomiting.2 Many patients say they feel "robbed" of their quality of life.
Its origin is unknown and there is no cure, so managing Ménière's Disease can be difficult. Before the Meniett device, patients whose symptoms did not improve with medical therapy had very few treatment options. Patients could either hope that their symptoms would eventually improve or resort to surgical methods that offered only varying rates of success. The Meniett device, writes Ganesh, "can reduce vertiginous symptoms and functional handicap and maintain these improvements in patients with medically intractable Ménière's Disease. As it is a safe, minimally invasive and non-destructive level of therapy, we recommend considering it before attempting any surgical or chemical vestibular ablation procedure."
How the Meniett Device Works
The Meniett device allows patients to self-administer their treatment at home or work for a few minutes each day by delivering low-pressure air pulses through a tube connected to an earpiece placed in the outer ear. It is believed that the low-pressure pulses displace the excess inner ear fluid, normalizing the pressure within the ear and helping to relieve the symptoms of Ménière's Disease. The device has been cleared for use in the United States since December 1999, and in Europe since 1997.
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