title: Long-term follow-up of hearing preservation in electric-acoustic stimulation patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hearing preservation (HP) surgery was initiated more than 10 years ago for combined electric and acoustic stimulation (EAS). Preserved residual low-frequency hearing has been demonstrated to improve speech perception in noise as well as music appreciation in EAS users up to 2 years. Multiple study groups aimed to evaluate initial loss of residual hearing (RH) as a consequence of HP surgery. However, after 1 year and 2 years of follow-up, further decline was reported. This study aimed to determine RH, speech perception, and the subjective benefits of EAS 10 years after HP surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nine postlingual EAS partially deaf patients who underwent HP surgery at Antwerp University Hospital were included in this study (11 implanted ears). Hearing preservation (0% = loss of hearing; >0%-25% = minimal HP; >25%-75% = partial HP; >75% = complete HP), speech perception and subjective benefits were evaluated preoperatively; at 3, 6, 12, 18, and 24 months postoperatively; and annually thereafter.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Complete HP was obtained in three of 11 ears; partial HP in five of 11 ears; and minimal HP in two of 11 ears, measured during their most recent follow-up. One subject lost his RH completely across time. The mean rate of HP was 48% (ranging from 6 months up to 10 years postoperatively). Speech perception analysis up to 10 years showed a continuous statistically significant improvement. The maximum subjective benefit was reached 3 months after implantation and subsequently remained statistically significant unchanged for the next 10 years.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Long-term HP in EAS users after HP surgery is feasible, although a small continuous decline of HP rate of 3% per year was observed (measured from first fitting up to 6 years postoperative). Nevertheless, a continuous improvement was found in the speech perception results of the EAS users across 10 years. Moreover, the positive subjective benefit, assessed 3 months postoperative, remained stable up to 10 years.
authors.affiliation: *University Department Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Antwerp University Hospital; and †Antwerp University, Antwerp, Belgium.
authors.forename: Griet
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mertens
authors.forename: Andrea Kleine
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Punte
authors.forename: Ellen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cochet
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: De Bodt
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Van de Heyning
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation / Q000379:methods*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004558:Electric Stimulation / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006309:Hearing / Q000502:physiology*; D006310:Hearing Aids; D034381:Hearing Loss / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D006320:Hearing Tests; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013067:Speech Perception / Q000502:physiology; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult