Active transcutaneous bone-anchored hearing implant: how I do it.

Area of Science:

• Otolaryngology
• Medical Devices
• Surgical Innovation

Background:

• The Cochlear™ Osia® System can result in a noticeable retroauricular bump.
• This bump may cause patient discomfort and negatively impact aesthetic results.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of creating an implant well to mitigate the retroauricular bump associated with the Cochlear™ Osia® System.
• To assess the impact of this surgical modification on patient comfort and aesthetic outcomes.

Main Methods:

• An implant well was surgically created in the bone behind the ear to house the transducer.
• Cutting and diamond drills were utilized to achieve an average well depth of 4-5 mm.
• The surgical procedure, including implant well creation, averaged 40 minutes, falling within reported surgical time ranges.

Main Results:

• The introduction of an implant well led to a significant improvement in aesthetic appearance.
• Patients reported enhanced comfort following the surgical modification.
• The surgical time remained comparable to standard procedures.

Conclusions:

• Implementing an implant well is an effective method for improving the aesthetic outcome and patient comfort with the Cochlear™ Osia® System.
• The reduced proximity between the bone-implanted (BI300) device and the ear canal may offer potential audiological benefits.