title: The totally implantable middle ear device 'Esteem' for rehabilitation of severe sensorineural hearing loss.
abstract: CONCLUSIONS
  The Esteem(®) device proved to offer beneficial results in subjects suffering from high frequency, severe bilateral sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) and may be considered as an alternative procedure to conventional hearing aids (HAs) or electroacoustic stimulation (EAS) systems.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Since the Esteem(®) totally implantable device has been shown to offer positive results among patients with moderate SNHL, this middle ear implant has also been suggested for subjects with a worse degree of hearing loss in order to predict its extended application, also in the nearly cochlear implantation range.
  
  
  METHODS
  Esteem(®) implantation was carried out in 21 subjects with a mild (n = 3), moderate (MHL, n = 9) or severe (SHL, n = 9) degree of SNHL. The two latter groups, i.e. MHL and SHL, were compared in terms of preoperative versus postoperative pure tone and speech reception thresholds (SRTs). Similarly, they were also compared for the outcome from quality of life (QoL) questionnaires, such as the general Glasgow Benefit Inventory (GBI) and COSI.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the whole sample, mean hearing threshold levels improved from 70 to 48 dB; in the MHL group the mean hearing threshold level improved from 64 to 42 dB; in the SHL group the mean hearing threshold level improved from 82 to 58 dB. GBI and COSI scores were only slightly better in the MHL group than in the SHL group.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, Mental Health and Sensory Organs, ENT Unit, Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy. maurizio.barbara@uniroma1.it
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Barbara
authors.forename: Michela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Biagini
authors.forename: Simonetta
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Monini
mesh_terms: D001301:Audiometry, Pure-Tone; D001302:Audiometry, Speech; D006309:Hearing; D006312:Hearing Loss, Bilateral / Q000534:rehabilitation* / Q000601:surgery; D006319:Hearing Loss, Sensorineural / Q000534:rehabilitation* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D009998:Ossicular Prosthesis; D019933:Ossicular Replacement / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000523:psychology; D011788:Quality of Life