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CASE STUDY
USE OF THE VIBRANT SOUNDBRIDGE MIDDLE
EAR IMPLANT WITH SHORT PROCESS INCUS
COUPLER FOR CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE
INFLAMMATION OF THE EXTERNAL EAR CANAL:
CASE STUDY
1
Oto-Rhino-Laryngology Surgery Clinic, World Hearing Centre, Institute of Physiology
and Pathology of Hearing, Warsaw/Kajetany, Poland
2
Heart Failure and Cardiac Rehabilitation Department of the Medical University of
Warsaw, Poland
3
Institute of Sensory Organs, Warsaw/Kajetany, Poland
A - Research concept and design; B - Collection and/or assembly of data; C - Data analysis and interpretation; D - Writing the article; E - Critical revision of the article; F - Final approval of article;
Publication date: 2018-06-30
Corresponding author
Piotr H. Skarzynski
Ass. Prof. Piotr H. Skarzynski, Institute of Physiology and Pathology of Hearing, Mochanckiego 10, 02-042 Warsaw, Poland, Email: p.skarzynski@ifps.org.pl, Tel. +48 22 3560486, Fax. +48 22 3560367
Ass. Prof. Piotr H. Skarzynski, Institute of Physiology and Pathology of Hearing, Mochanckiego 10, 02-042 Warsaw, Poland, Email: p.skarzynski@ifps.org.pl, Tel. +48 22 3560486, Fax. +48 22 3560367
J Hear Sci 2018;8(2):25–31
KEYWORDS
middle ear implantVibrant Soundbridgechronic obstructive inflammation of the external ear canalincus SP couplermixed hearing loss
ABSTRACT
Objective:
Chronic obstructive inflammation of the external ear canal after different kinds of surgeries often leads to restenosis. There are different approaches to treatment of such cases, and one solution is a middle ear implant. Here we analyze the efficacy of using the Vibrant Soundbridge middle ear implant with a new incus short process (SP) coupler in this type of case.
Material and Methods:
We present a case study of a 29-year old patient with bilateral mixed hearing loss caused by bilateral obstructive inflammation of the external ear canals. He had undergone meatoplasty with very short-lived improvement. Afterwards he qualified for middle ear implantation to restore hearing, and the Vibrant Soundbridge was implanted with a new SP coupler to which the floating mass transducer (FMT) is attached. Postoperative hearing tests included pure tone audiometry, free field audiometry, speech recognition, and APHAB questionnaire.
Results:
Speech recognition after implantation improved to 100%. Pre- and postoperative bone conduction thresholds were unchanged. Vibrometry thresholds 10 months after surgery did not deteriorate. There was a decrease in global APHAB score by 61% from 2 to 10 months after implantation.
Conclusions:
Application of the Vibrant Soundbridge middle ear implant can be an effective treatment in cases of hearing loss caused by obstructive inflammation of the external ear canals. The new incus SP coupler seems to be an effective method of stimulating the middle ear in mixed hearing loss.
Chronic obstructive inflammation of the external ear canal after different kinds of surgeries often leads to restenosis. There are different approaches to treatment of such cases, and one solution is a middle ear implant. Here we analyze the efficacy of using the Vibrant Soundbridge middle ear implant with a new incus short process (SP) coupler in this type of case.
Material and Methods:
We present a case study of a 29-year old patient with bilateral mixed hearing loss caused by bilateral obstructive inflammation of the external ear canals. He had undergone meatoplasty with very short-lived improvement. Afterwards he qualified for middle ear implantation to restore hearing, and the Vibrant Soundbridge was implanted with a new SP coupler to which the floating mass transducer (FMT) is attached. Postoperative hearing tests included pure tone audiometry, free field audiometry, speech recognition, and APHAB questionnaire.
Results:
Speech recognition after implantation improved to 100%. Pre- and postoperative bone conduction thresholds were unchanged. Vibrometry thresholds 10 months after surgery did not deteriorate. There was a decrease in global APHAB score by 61% from 2 to 10 months after implantation.
Conclusions:
Application of the Vibrant Soundbridge middle ear implant can be an effective treatment in cases of hearing loss caused by obstructive inflammation of the external ear canals. The new incus SP coupler seems to be an effective method of stimulating the middle ear in mixed hearing loss.
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