Long-term results with the titanium bone-anchored hearing aid: the U.S. experience

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the long-term safety and efficacy of the titanium bone-anchored hearing aid (BAHA).

A retrospective review of 24 patients implanted with the BAHA between 1984 and 1987 in a multiinstitutional study designed to evaluate the device in the United States was performed, including detailed clinical and audiologic evaluations of the 10 patients implanted at the Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center in New York. The data were collected from patients' charts, questionnaires, and the Nobel Biocare patient contact and repair records.

Candidates for the BAHA are unable to use a conventional air conduction hearing aid because of congenital aural atresia, draining mastoid cavities, or recurrent otitis externa. The audiologic indications are a conductive or a mixed hearing loss with a bone conduction average of 45 db or better and a speech discrimination score of 60% or better.

A BAHA was implanted in a two-stage procedure under local anesthesia on an outpatient basis.

Patients' satisfaction with the device, hearing improvement, and complication rates were reviewed.

The majority of the patients analyzed (78%) are still using the device an average of 15.6 hours/day 10 to 13 years after implantation. The overall satisfaction score was 4.5 (1, worst; 5, best). In sound field testing, the mean speech reception threshold improved from 52 db to 27 db (p < 0.05). There were no major complications.

The BAHA is a safe and effective bone conduction hearing aid with wide applications for patients with bone conduction hearing levels of 45 db and discrimination scores of 60% or better.