Long-term soft tissue outcomes for hydroxyapatite-coated bone-anchored hearing implant surgery

Area of Science:

• Otolaryngology
• Neurosurgery
• Plastic Surgery

Background:

• Percutaneous bone-anchored hearing aid (BAHA) abutment implantation requires careful management of soft tissues to ensure optimal outcomes.
• Traditional techniques may be associated with complications such as skin reactions and implant loss.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the skin-related postoperative outcomes of a tissue preservation technique in percutaneous hydroxyapatite-coated BAHA abutment implantation.
• To assess the efficacy and safety of this surgical approach.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of 102 adult patients undergoing single-stage BAHA implantation using a linear incision soft tissue preservation technique.
• Postoperative follow-up included assessments at 1 week, 4 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, and annually.
• Soft tissue reactions were graded using Holger's score.

Main Results:

• The majority of patients (89%) experienced no significant soft tissue reactions (Holger score 0).
• Only 3% of patients required soft tissue excision (Holger 3), and 1% reported atraumatic implant loss.
• A statistically significant association was found between the time to minor skin complications and the time to significant skin reactions (p=0.009).

Conclusions:

• The tissue preservation technique is highly effective for BAHA abutment implant surgery.
• This approach yields excellent soft tissue outcomes and a high implant survival rate.
• It is recommended as the preferred surgical procedure for BAHA implantation.