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Bone anchored hearing implants without skin thinning: the Gruppo Otologico surgical and audiological experience

  • Otology
  • Published:
European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

To investigate the surgical and audiological outcomes of an installation of a bone-anchored hearing system (BAHS) procedure without tissue reduction using Ponto implants and abutments. Retrospective consecutive case series. Forty-nine patients, 18 years or older and eligible for treatment with a bone-anchored hearing system with tissue preservation surgery, were included in the study. Following a systematic scheme for medical outcomes, we collected the data regarding surgical intervention, quality of life (GBI), skin and soft tissue reactions (Holgers grading system), pain and numbness (VAS). Hearing performance (aided thresholds and speech recognition in noise) was recorded in 20 patients. No implants were lost, skin, and soft tissue reactions were mild in 96 % of the all visits. Quality of life (GBI) generally improved in the aided condition compared to prior to implantation. Audiologically, 100 % of the 20 patients examined showed improvement of speech reception and sound field thresholds comparing aided to unaided. An average improvement of 33 dB on PTA was recorded. The study, presenting data on a large population, treated with tissue preservation and modern titanium implants, shows that this treatment is a viable solution that results in fewer complications, high degree of predictability and good audiological results.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Gruppo Otologico, Casa di Cura Piacenza, Via Morigi, 41, 29121, Piacenza, Italy

    Antonio Caruso, Anna Lisa Giannuzzi, Valerio Sozzi & Mario Sanna

Authors
  1. Antonio Caruso
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  2. Anna Lisa Giannuzzi
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  3. Valerio Sozzi
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  4. Mario Sanna
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Antonio Caruso.

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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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The authors have no conflict of interest.

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Caruso, A., Giannuzzi, A.L., Sozzi, V. et al. Bone anchored hearing implants without skin thinning: the Gruppo Otologico surgical and audiological experience. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol 274, 695–700 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00405-016-4305-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00405-016-4305-x

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