A new bone conduction implant: surgical technique and results

Area of Science:

• Otolaryngology
• Neurosurgery
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Hearing loss, including mixed hearing loss and single-sided deafness, significantly impacts quality of life.
• Traditional hearing aids may not be suitable for all types of hearing loss.
• Bone conduction implants offer an alternative solution for specific hearing impairments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To detail the surgical technique for Bonebridge implantation under local or general anesthesia.
• To evaluate the audiological outcomes in patients receiving the Bonebridge implant.
• To assess the safety and feasibility of the Bonebridge implantation procedure.

Main Methods:

• Five patients (four with mixed hearing loss, one with single-sided deafness) underwent Bonebridge implantation.
• Pre-operative CT scans with 3D reconstruction were used for surgical planning.
• Audiometric tests (air and bone conduction pure tone, word discrimination) were performed before and after surgery.

Main Results:

• The Bonebridge implantation procedure was well-tolerated by all patients.
• Four patients received the implant under local anesthesia; one required general anesthesia due to a concurrent procedure.
• Statistically significant improvements in audiological test results were observed post-surgery.

Conclusions:

• Bonebridge implantation is a safe and feasible surgical option under both local and general anesthesia.
• The audiological results achieved with the Bonebridge implant are comparable to those of bone-anchored hearing device (BAHD) users.
• This new device demonstrates promising outcomes for patients with specific types of hearing loss.