Learning Objectives:
Introduction: Patients with air bone gaps can be treated with bone conducting hearing aids. The disadvantages of the conventional and percutaneous systems are the obvious external fixation components or the biological and psychosocial problems of open implants. This project was set up to develop a semi-implantable transcutaneous bone conducting device, introduce it into clinical application and follow-up on the results.
Material and Method: The principle of this bone conducting device is the magnetic coupling between implanted and external magnets. After extensive lab tests it was introduced clinically in 2006. Since then there have been performed more than 300 implantations in Recklinghausen and more than 3000 worldwide.
Results and Conclusions: The operative technique is relatively simple. With the new “Up-Side-Down-Technique” bone does not have to be removed at all anymore. The 2.6 mm thin implants are hardly palpable. The hearing improvement is similar to other bone conducting hearing aids. This semi-implantable transcutaneous bone conduction hearing device is another option for patients with CSOM, air-bone-gaps, mixed hearing loss or single sided deafness.
