Learning Objectives: BAHA placement in paediatric cohorts with COM is a viable option following trial of soft band device. Medium and longer-term concordance with the device demonstrates tolerance and acceptability in carefully selected paediatric patients.
Introduction: Bone anchored hearing aids (BAHA) are an accepted treatment alternative for patients with hearing loss associated with chronic otitis media (COM). Reports of BAHA use and outcomes in paediatric cohorts, with conductive or mixed hearing loss, in the context of COM, are limited. We present long-term follow-up data for paediatric patients undergoing BAHA at a large tertiary referral centre.
Methods: Retrospective case series.
Cases identified from a prospectively maintained database of paediatric cases (under 18 years at first fitting), performed over a 10-year period (2003–2013).
Results: 180 consecutive paediatric surgical cases were reviewed. 16 patients were identified as having undergone BAHA placement for COM hearing rehabilitation. 69% were female, and one had associated Down's syndrome. Median age was 14 years (mean 12.7 years) and ranged from 4 to 17 years old at first fitting.
43.8% of placements were were bilateral. Median duration of follow-up was 64 months (range 19–150 months). One patient requested removal of bilateral abutments at seventeen months follow-up. The remaining cases were continuing to use their implant regularly in the medium to longer-term. There were no adverse surgical outcomes.
Conclusions: In this unselected case series, the use of BAHA in patients with COM has been demonstrated to be safe, well-tolerated and reliable method of hearing rehabilitation demonstrated by patient concordance at medium to longer-term follow-up.
