A longitudinal study on postoperative hearing thresholds with the Vibrant Soundbridge device

Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol. 2004 Oct;261(9):493-6. doi: 10.1007/s00405-003-0669-9.

Abstract

The Vibrant Soundbridge is a semi-implantable middle ear hearing device used in the rehabilitation of adults with sensorineural hearing loss. In order to evaluate the long-term effects of the implanted part of the device, audiological data from 39 patients implanted over several implant sites across France were collected and analyzed retrospectively. The mean follow-up time was 16 months; 25 patients had a follow-up period of over 1 year. Surgery was uneventful in all cases. The present study of the 39 implanted patients with a mid- to long-term follow-up found a statistically significant modification of hearing thresholds (pre- versus postoperative) for frequencies of 0.5 and 4 kHz. However, the shift of threshold was rather limited (2.79 and 3.34 dB, respectively), and this variation was not statistically different from the evolution of the opposite non-operated ear.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Audiometry, Pure-Tone
  • Audiometry, Speech
  • Auditory Threshold / physiology*
  • Equipment Safety
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Hearing Aids*
  • Hearing Loss, Sensorineural / diagnosis
  • Hearing Loss, Sensorineural / rehabilitation
  • Hearing Loss, Sensorineural / surgery*
  • Humans
  • Longitudinal Studies
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Postoperative Care
  • Probability
  • Prosthesis Implantation / methods
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Risk Assessment
  • Severity of Illness Index
  • Treatment Outcome