Audiometric evaluation and quality-of-life in OSIA users - a retrospective monocentric study

Area of Science:

• Audiology
• Otolaryngology
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Active transcutaneous bone-anchored hearing systems are crucial for treating hearing loss.
• The piezoelectric OSIA system is an established hearing solution.
• Evaluating its effectiveness in diverse patient groups is essential.

Purpose of the Study:

• To retrospectively evaluate hearing outcomes and subjective benefits of the OSIA system.
• To assess performance in patients with moderate to severe mixed hearing loss.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 21 patients (ages 9-83) implanted with OSIA.
• Audiometric testing (preoperative and at 3, 6 months) and quality of life questionnaires.
• Comparison of OSIA performance against pre-operative thresholds and BAHA 6 Max.

Main Results:

• Significant improvement in hearing thresholds (PTA4: 68.2 dB to 32.0 dB, gain 36.2 dB).
• Enhanced speech understanding (Freiburg monosyllables 16.4% better with OSIA).
• Improved subjective quality of life (APHAB, NCIQ) and tinnitus management.

Conclusions:

• The OSIA system provides significant audiological and quality-of-life benefits.
• It is effective for patients with moderate to severe mixed hearing loss, showing sustained improvement.
• High patient satisfaction reported with the OSIA system.