title: [Implantable Bone Conduction and Active Middle Ear Devices].
abstract: In case of audiological and/or anatomical limitations in the provision of conventional hearing aids, semi- or fully-implantable hearing systems represent a modern therapy alternative. These hearing systems are divided according to their mode of action into active middle ear implants when stimulating the auditory ossicles or the round window, into bone conduction devices while stimulating the skull directly, into cochlear implants with direct acoustic stimulation to the cochlea with its auditory nerve and finally into auditory brainstem implants by bridging the peripheral auditory structures. Taking careful criteria of indications and anatomical specificities into account, significant improvements can be achieved in comfort, speech understanding and thus quality of life for a large number of patients.
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pirlich
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dietz
authors.forename: Sylvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Meuret
authors.forename: Mathias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hofer
mesh_terms: D038262:Auditory Brain Stem Implants; D001844:Bone Conduction / Q000502:physiology*; D003054:Cochlear Implants; D004432:Ear, Middle / Q000601:surgery*; D006310:Hearing Aids; D034381:Hearing Loss / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006801:Humans; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011474:Prosthesis Design; D019919:Prosthesis Implantation; D011788:Quality of Life; D013067:Speech Perception