VIBRANT SOUNDBRIDGE MIDDLE-EAR IMPLANTS – LONG-TERM OUTCOMES

Eu Chin Ho,1 Peter Monksfield,1 Huw Cooper,2 Richard Irving1

1Department of Otolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery; 2Hearing Assessment & Research Centre, University Hospital Birmingham, Birmingham, UK

Introduction

Middle-ear implant (MEI) is an option for patients with sensorineural, conductive or mixed hearing loss who are unable to tolerate a conventional hearing aid for hearing rehabilitation. The Vibrant Soundbridge® is a semi-implantable MEI which has been available since 1996. We have used the Medel Vibrant Soundbridge® (VSB) middle-ear implant since 1997 and we report on the long-term outcome.

Method

Retrospective review of 14 patients who had this device fitted between 1997 and 2002.

Results

The etiology of hearing loss was: one sudden idiopathic, eight unknown progressive, four hereditary progressive and one iatrogenic from chemotherapy. There were equal numbers of male and female patients. The mean age at implantation was 46 (28–76 years).

Five of the patients had complications. Two patients needed their transducer re-fixing. One patient had persistent otitis media with effusion. One had wound breakdown and needed revision surgery. The last patient had aural fullness and electrical interference which resolved spontaneously.

At the time of this study, eight patients (57%) were still using their devices. Of the patients who became non-users, two suffered early post-operative hearing deterioration and were early unsuccessful users. Three became non-users due to progressive hearing loss, with one progressing to a cochlear implant. The final patient stopped using the device due to a transducer failure.

The median length of VSB usage was 107 months (range 0–158). Even amongst the current non-users, the average length of time the VS was successfully used was 50 months (0–94 months). Eleven patients had had problems with their devices, with eight needing the external processors changed. However, most patients carried on using their devices after the problems were fixed. As previously noted, only one patient became a non-user though persistent device failure.

Conclusions

The VSB is a viable long-term hearing rehabilitation option for carefully selected patients. Some patients may become non-users through the natural deterioration of their hearing reserve. Notwithstanding some problems, we have a cohort of eight patients who have successfully used their VSB for over ten years.


Address for correspondence: Dr Eu Chin Ho, Department of Otolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery, University, Hospital Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2WB, UK. euchinho@yahoo.co.uk

Cholesteatoma and Ear Surgery – An Update, p. 291

Edited by Haruo Takahashi

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