A male client with a conductive hearing disorder caused by ankylosis of the stapes in the oval window undergoes a stapedectomy to remove the stapes and replace the impaired bone with a prosthesis

A male client with a conductive hearing disorder caused by ankylosis of the stapes in the oval window undergoes a stapedectomy to remove the stapes and replace the impaired bone with a prosthesis.

After the stapedectomy, the nurse should provide which client instruction?

a- “Lie in bed with your head elevated, and refrain from blowing your nose for 24 hours.”

b- “Try to ambulate independently after about 24 hours.”

c- “Shampoo your hair every day for 10 days to help prevent ear infection.”

d- “Don’t fly in an airplane, climb to high altitudes, make sudden movements, or expose yourself to loud sounds for 30 days.”

Answer D.
For 30 days after a stapedectomy, the client should avoid air travel, sudden movements that may cause trauma, and exposure to loud sounds and pressure changes (such as from high altitudes).
Immediately after surgery, the client should lie flat with the surgical ear facing upward; nose blowing is permitted but should be done gently and on one side at a time.
The client’s first attempt at postoperative ambulation should be supervised to prevent falls caused by vertigo and light-headedness.
The client must avoid shampooing and swimming to keep the dressing and the ear dry.