Is the Bone-Conduction HeadBand test useful for predicting the functional outcome of a round window active middle ear implant?

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

To estimate the reliability of the Bone Conduction-HeadBand (BC-HB) test for predicting the postoperative functional outcome of a round-window (RW) vibroplasty.

STUDY DESIGN:

Within-subject comparison of the functional results of the BC-HB test, which is routinely used for the preoperative evaluation of a bone-conduction transducer, with an active middle ear implant (AMEI) placed onto the round window.

SETTING:

Tertiary referral university hospital center.

PATIENTS:

Seven patients with similar anatomic (absent stapes superstructure) and functional (moderate, mixed hearing loss) sequelae from open tympanoplasty technique.

INTERVENTION:

All subjects underwent preoperative audiologic assessment with the BC-HB. Subsequently, all subjects underwent surgical placement of an AMEI onto the round window.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE:

Pure tone and speech audiometry in quiet and noise were assessed. Additionally, evaluation of specific satisfactory targets was performed using the Client Oriented Scale of Improvement.

RESULTS:

Pure tone and speech audiometry in quiet established that both devices had very similar performance and provided remarkable improvement compared with the unaided condition. However, high-frequency gain and speech audiometry in noise demonstrated better performance with RW-AMEI.

CONCLUSION:

In patients presenting with mixed hearing loss as a sequela from middle ear surgery, the preoperative BC-HB test may be helpful in predicting the final functional outcome and patient satisfaction with RW-AMEI.

• Authors: Simonetta Monini, Chiara Filippi, Francesca Atturo, Maurizio Barbara
• Journal: Otology & neurotology : official publication of the American Otological Society, American Neurotology Society [and] European Academy of Otology and Neurotology (Otol Neurotol) Vol. 34 Issue 7 Pg. 1329-35 (Sep 2013) ISSN: 1537-4505 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 23867342 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Topics

• Adult
• Aged
• Audiology (instrumentation)
• Audiometry, Pure-Tone
• Bone Conduction (physiology)
• Cochlear Implants
• Cohort Studies
• Ear, Middle (surgery)
• Female
• Functional Laterality (physiology)
• Hearing Loss, Mixed Conductive-Sensorineural (physiopathology, surgery)
• Humans
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Noise
• Predictive Value of Tests
• Reproducibility of Results
• Round Window, Ear (surgery)
• Speech Discrimination Tests
• Speech Intelligibility
• Surveys and Questionnaires
• Treatment Outcome
• Tympanoplasty