Percutaneous Bone-Anchored Hearing Aid

Reabilitação auditiva na Síndrome de Treacher Collins por meio de prótese auditiva ancorada no osso

Objective:

To describe a case of hearing rehabilitation with bone anchored hearing aid in a patient with Treacher Collins syndrome.

Case description:

3 years old patient, male, with Treacher Collins syndrome and severe complications due to the syndrome, mostly related to the upper airway and hearing. He had bilateral atresia of external auditory canals, and malformation of the pinna. The initial hearing rehabilitation was with bone vibration arch, but there was poor acceptance due the discomfort caused by skull compression. It was prescribed a model of bone-anchored hearing aid, in soft band format. The results were evaluated through behavioral hearing tests and questionnaires Meaningful Use of Speech Scale (MUSS) and Infant-Toddler Meaningful Auditory Integration Scale (IT-MAIS).

Comments:

The patient had a higher acceptance of the bone-anchored hearing aid compared to the traditional bone vibration arch. Audiological tests and the speech and auditory skills assessments also showed better communication and hearing outcomes. The bone-anchored hearing aid is a good option in hearing rehabilitation in this syndrome.

Vibrant Soundbridge and Bone Conduction Hearing Aid in Patients with Bilateral Malformation of External Ear

Introduction Hearing loss is the most common clinical finding in patients with malformation of the external ear canal. Among the possibilities of treatment, there is the adaptation of hearing aids by bone conduction and the adaptation of implantable hearing aids.

Objective To assess speech perception with the use of Vibrant Soundbridge (VBS - MED-EL, Innsbruck, Austria) associated with additional amplification in patients with bilateral craniofacial malformation.

Method We evaluated 11 patients with bilateral malformation over 12 years with mixed hearing loss or bilateral conductive. They were using the Softband (Oticon Medical, Sweden) and bone conduction hearing aid in the ear opposite the one with the VSB. We performed the evaluation of speech perception using the Hearing in Noise Test.

Results Participants were eight men and three women with a mean of 19.5 years. The signal / noise ratio presented significant results in patients fitted with VSB and bone conduction hearing aid.

Conclusion The results of speech perception were significantly better with use of VBS combined with bone conduction hearing aids.

Amplification by bone conduction in congenital malformations: patient benefits and satisfaction

Hearing loss is one of the most common clinical findings in subjects with malformations of the ear. Treatment consists of surgery and/or adapt a hearing aid amplification by bone (HA VO). Early intervention is critical to auditory stimulation and development of speech and language.

OBJECTIVE

To characterize the audiological profile of subjects with congenital malformation of the external ear and/or middle and evaluate the benefit and satisfaction of using HA VO.

METHOD

A descriptive study, subjects with bilateral congenital malformations of the external ear and/or middle, conductive or mixed hearing loss, moderate or severe and HA VO users. Evaluation of the benefit test using sentence recognition in noise and measures of functional gain and satisfaction assessment questionnaire using international IQ - HA.

RESULTS

13 subjects were evaluated, 61% were male and 80% with moderate conductive hearing loss or severe. There was better performance in the evaluation proposal, provided with HA when compared to the condition without HA.

CONCLUSION

HA VO showed advantages for the population studied and should be considered as an option for intervention. Satisfaction was confirmed by elevated scores obtained in IQ - HA.