Long-term benefit perception, complications, and device malfunction rate of bone-anchored hearing aid implantation for profound unilateral sensorineural hearing loss.

OBJECTIVE

To longitudinally evaluate short- and long-term subject satisfaction/benefit perception, device usage rates, complication rates, and external device repair rates of bone-anchored hearing aid (BAHA) implantation on a cohort of adult subjects with profound unilateral sensorineural hearing loss (PUSHL).

STUDY DESIGN

Prospective clinical trial.

SETTING

Tertiary referral center.

PATIENTS

Fifty-six adults with PUSHL, 21 of which underwent BAHA implantation (followed for an average of 3.2 years after implantation; range, 0.8-4.6 yr).

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Short- and long-term satisfaction/benefit perception outcomes consisting of the Glasgow Hearing Aid Benefit Profile, Abbreviated Profile of Hearing Aid Benefit, and Single-Sided Deafness Questionnaire, including a comparison of results between implanted and nonimplanted subjects. Short- and long-term device usage rates, complications, and device failure issues also were carefully documented.

RESULTS

There were statistically significant improvements in nearly all measures of benefit perception documented as well as a high rate of long-term device usage (81%). Although satisfaction and benefit perception outcomes generally tended to regress over time when compared with initial short-term outcomes, long-term scores still tended to be significantly improved nevertheless as compared with preoperative levels. Approximately 38% of implants experienced severe local skin reactions (Grade 2 and above) around the implant site at some point throughout the follow-up period, whereas only one (4.8%) required implant removal. 66.7% of subjects required repair of their external sound processor.

CONCLUSION

BAHA implantation seems to provide a high level of short- and long-term perceived benefit and satisfaction in subjects with PUSHL and high rate of long-term device usage. Implant site adverse local skin reactions and repairs of the external sound processor were quite common.