[Bone anchored auditory prosthesis. Indications, clinical and audiometric results]

Area of Science:

• Otolaryngology
• Biomedical Engineering
• Audiology

Context:

• Conductive or mixed hearing loss presents unique challenges for audiological rehabilitation.
• Traditional hearing aids may be insufficient for certain types of hearing impairment.
• Bone Anchored Hearing Aids (BAHA) offer an alternative solution by bypassing the external auditory canal.

Purpose:

• To evaluate the efficacy and patient satisfaction of Bone Anchored Hearing Aids (BAHA) in patients with conductive or mixed hearing loss.
• To assess audiological outcomes, including pure tone thresholds and speech reception, following BAHA implantation.
• To investigate the occurrence of skin reactions and any unexpected reception improvements.

Summary:

• Sixteen BAHA devices were fitted in 14 patients (3 with congenital auditory canal malformation, 11 with sequelae of bilateral chronic otitis media).
• All implants achieved osseointegration with minimal skin reactions (81%).
• Subjective evaluation revealed high patient preference (100%) and satisfaction (93%) with BAHA compared to previous hearing aids.
• Objective audiological tests showed significant improvements: mean pure tone threshold improved from 51.5 dB to 22.6 dB, and speech reception threshold improved from 51.1 dB to 21.9 dB.
• An 'antenna' effect, improving reception without the aid connected, was observed in three cases.

Impact:

• BAHA provides a significant audiological benefit for patients with specific hearing loss types.
• High patient satisfaction underscores the effectiveness and quality of life improvements offered by BAHA.
• The study highlights the potential for unexpected benefits, such as the 'antenna' effect, warranting further investigation.