Long-Term Outcome With an Active Middle Ear Implant in Patients to Bilateral Aural Atresia.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE\nTo describe the audiological results and complications following active middle ear implant (AMEI) surgery in users with bilateral ear atresia.\n\n\nSTUDY DESIGN\nObservational and retrospective longitudinal follow-up.\n\n\nSETTING\nA tertiary referral hospital for hearing rehabilitation and craniofacial malformations.\n\n\nPATIENTS\nMedical records of 27 patients with bilateral congenital aural atresia (34 ears) who underwent surgery for AMEI were reviewed. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The alpha error was assumed to be 5%.\n\n\nOUTCOME MEASURES\nMedical and technical complications and audiological results were observed during follow-up.\n\n\nRESULTS\nThe median postoperative follow-up was 37.5\u200amonths (27.7-75.5\u200amo). Medical or technical complications occurred in 35.3% (n\u200a=\u200a12) of patients during follow-up, 14.7% (n\u200a=\u200a5) required surgical revision. The auditory thresholds in the free field improved from 53.75\u200adB (46.87-56.25) to 25\u200adB (21.25-32.5) after 6\u200amonths using the AMEI (p\u200a<\u200a0.001) and remained stable till the last audiological evaluation (22.5: 21.25 26.25). Compared with the preoperative results, all speech perception tests also showed the benefits of AMEI at 6\u200amonths postoperatively and in the last audiological evaluation.\n\n\nCONCLUSIONS\nMonitoring the use of AMEI in this sample demonstrated the safety of these implants compared with data available in the literature. The rates of medical and technical complications were consistent with data published by other groups. Finally, the audiological results remained stable during follow-up.