[Multicenter Clinical Study of Vibrant Soundbridge in Japan: Analysis of Subjective Questionnaires]

The Vibrant Soundbridge (VSB) is an active middle ear implant with the Floating Mass Transducer (FMT). We performed a multicenter study to study the efficacy of the VSB by means of "the 10 Questionnaire on Hearing 2002" and "the APHAB questionnaire" at 13 hospitals between 2011 and 2013. In all, 23 patients with mixed or conductive hearing loss received VSB implantation by the round window placement technique. These individuals were generally unable to use, or gained little from conventional hearing aids or bone conduction hearing aids. Two questionnaires were administrated before the surgery and 20 weeks after the VSB implantation. Scores on every item of "the 10 Questionnaire on Hearing 2002" showed significant improvement under noise after VSB implantation. On the APHAB, the scores for Ease of Communication, Reverberation, and Background subscales improved significantly after the VSB implantation, while the score for the Aversiveness subscale alone failed to show a positive improvement from the inexperience to the new sound. Analysis of the responses to these subjective questionnaires revealed better results after VSB implantation as compared to the preoperative data. In conclusion, RW vibroplasty with the use of VSB provided subjective benefit in patients with conductive and mixed hearing loss.