title: Active middle ear implantation for patients with sensorineural hearing loss and external otitis: long-term outcome in patient satisfaction.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study long-term subjective benefit of patients with sensorineural hearing loss and chronic external otitis who use active middle ear implants.
  
  
  METHODS
  Single-subject repeated measures in a preintervention and postintervention design with multiple postintervention measurements (questionnaires).
  
  
  METHODS
  Tertiary academic center.
  
  
  METHODS
  Moderate-to-severe sensorineural hearing loss (n = 56) with severe chronic external otitis who use the Vibrant Soundbridge (VSB) or Otologics MET middle ear implant systems.
  
  
  METHODS
  Changes in hearing disability and handicap as evaluated using the Abbreviated Profile of Hearing Aid Benefit (APHAB), the Nijmegen Cochlear Implant Questionnaire (NCIQ), and the Glasgow Benefit Inventory (GBI).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Data of 33 patients (mean postoperative duration of 7.5 yr) were available. No difference in subjective results was found between the VSB and Otologics MET patient groups. Total percentage of nonuse was 13%. Long-term APHAB results show a significant decrease in disability for 43% of the patients compared with 54% at 1-year postoperative. NCIQ results show a significant benefit for all subdomains with a negative trend over time. The GBI results show a significant long-term increase in quality of life with positive scores for 82% of the assessed patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Long-term postoperative patient satisfaction and quality of life results show a significant difference compared with preoperative measurements, with conventional hearing aids. A negative trend over time is found on all questionnaires, which might reflect patient aging (increase of hearing loss) or habituation to a situation with fewer concerns regarding a patient's external otitis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Nijmegen, The Netherlands. j.zwartenkot@kno.umcn.nl
authors.forename: Joost W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Zwartenkot
authors.forename: Javad
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hashemi
authors.forename: Cor W R J
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Cremers
authors.forename: Jef J S
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Mulder
authors.forename: Ad F M
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Snik
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003054:Cochlear Implants / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D006310:Hearing Aids / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006319:Hearing Loss, Sensorineural / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009998:Ossicular Prosthesis; D010032:Otitis Externa / Q000601:surgery*; D017060:Patient Satisfaction / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome