title: Active middle ear implantation in elderly people: a retrospective study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the outcomes of younger (<60 yr) and older (≥60 yr) patients implanted with the Vibrant Soundbridge (VSB). The aim was to determine if there were differences between groups.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective study was used to evaluate all patients who were implanted and fit with a VSB during 2008 and 2009 at the Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Medical University Innsbruck. Differences in audiologic, medical, and surgical outcomes between younger and older patients were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No patients had major complications during or after the surgical procedure. All patients had a good hearing benefit as supported by improvements in hearing thresholds from the preoperative to the postoperative condition in the sound field. There were differences between groups in speech understanding postoperatively; however, the differences were not statistically significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  All patients had, independent of age, good audiologic benefit from VSB use. Based on the low risk of medical or surgical complications, the easy use of the hearing implant, audiologic improvements, and potential social benefits, we think that the VSB should be regularly offered to adults with hearing loss, whether they are young or old.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University Hospital, Medical University Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.
authors.forename: Astrid
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wolf-Magele
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schnabl
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Woellner
authors.forename: Viktor
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Koci
authors.forename: Herbert
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Riechelmann
authors.forename: Georg M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Sprinzl
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001301:Audiometry, Pure-Tone; D001309:Auditory Threshold / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D034381:Hearing Loss / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009998:Ossicular Prosthesis; D019933:Ossicular Replacement; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013067:Speech Perception / Q000502:physiology; D016896:Treatment Outcome