Hearing rehabilitation in congenital aural atresia using the bone-anchored hearing aid: audiological and satisfaction results.
CONCLUSIONS
The BAHA (bone-anchored hearing aid) remains the most reliable method of auditory rehabilitation for patients with congenital aural atresia and improves hearing outcome and quality of life in these patients who are otherwise unable to benefit from traditional hearing aids. New techniques are being developed, such as fully implantable hearing devices, and will have to prove their efficacy and safety in this indication.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the audiological results and patient satisfaction after rehabilitation of congenital aural atresia using the BAHA.


METHODS
Sixteen patients suffering from bilateral congenital aural atresia were implanted with unilateral BAHA. Preoperative air- and bone-conduction thresholds and air-bone gap (ABG), preoperative sound reception threshold (SRT), postoperative aided thresholds, implantation complications, patient satisfaction, and the APHAB questionnaire were collected.


RESULTS
After a mean follow-up period of 6.5 years, 15 patients were still using their device. Each patient had an average improvement of 33 ± 7 dB. Closure of the ABG within 15 dB of the preoperative bone-conduction thresholds occurred in 10 patients. Adverse skin reactions appeared in 50% of patients over 6.5 years of follow-up. Eleven of the 12 patients used their BAHA for more than 8 h per day.
Fuchsmann
Carine
C
Hospices Civils de Lyon, HFME, Département d'ORL Pédiatrique, Bron, France. carine.fuchsmann@gmail.com
Tringali
Stéphane
S
Disant
François
F
Buiret
Guillaume
G
Dubreuil
Christian
C
Froehlich
Patrick
P
Truy
Eric
E
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001309:Auditory Threshold; D001844:Bone Conduction; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D000013:Congenital Abnormalities / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D065817:Congenital Microtia; D004423:Ear / Q000002:abnormalities*; D004431:Ear, External / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006310:Hearing Aids; D006314:Hearing Loss, Conductive / Q000151:congenital / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011474:Prosthesis Design; D019919:Prosthesis Implantation; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology; D012086:Reoperation; D053441:Suture Anchors; D013577:Syndrome; D055815:Young Adult