title: First Report: Linear Incision for Placement of a Magnetically Coupled Bone-Anchored Hearing Implant.
abstract: Discuss use of a linear incision for placement of a magnetically coupled bone anchored hearing implant.
  
  
  
  Case series.
  
  
  
  Two patients underwent placement of magnetically coupled bone-anchored hearing implants (BAHI) through linear incisions. The first, a 40-year-old female with congenital single-sided deafness, previously had successful implantation of a percutaneous bone anchored hearing implant through a linear incision; unfortunately, she developed pain and intermittent drainage at her abutment site with time, resulting in a request for removal of her device. As an alternative to complete removal, we offered to replace the percutaneous implant with a magnetically coupled BAHI, employing the same linear incision previously. The second patient, a 53-year-old obese female with limited neck mobility and mixed hearing loss, underwent primary placement of a magnetically coupled BAHI through a linear incision. Limitations in neck mobility and patient body habitus precluded use of a traditional C-shaped incision. Both patients underwent surgery successfully, healed without incident, had their devices activated 6 weeks after their procedures, and are able to wear their implants more than 8 hours per day without discomfort.
  
  
  
  Surgical techniques for bone-anchored implants continue to evolve. Though manufacturers of magnetically coupled devices recommend using C-shaped incisions with large skin flaps, our first reported cases suggest that a small linear incision immediately overlying the implant magnet may be an acceptable alternative. Potential benefits include a smaller incision, less hair removal, smaller flap, decreased surgical time, and less postoperative pain.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, The University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson, Arizona.
authors.forename: Jonnae Y
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Barry
authors.forename: Saranya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Reghunathan
authors.forename: Abraham
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jacob
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006309:Hearing / Q000502:physiology*; D006310:Hearing Aids; D034381:Hearing Loss / Q000601:surgery*; D006320:Hearing Tests; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D061646:Operative Time; D019919:Prosthesis Implantation / Q000379:methods*; D013524:Surgical Flaps; D000072836:Surgical Wound; D053441:Suture Anchors; D016896:Treatment Outcome