Children and patients with mental retardation are the most vulnerable to soft tissue reactions and implant losses. Additional and more frequent care needs to be given during outpatient consultations. Because loading as early as 3 to 5 weeks did not negatively affect skin reactions or implant survival, full BCD installation can occur earlier without risk.
The objective of this study was to ascertain the long-term safety of loading osseointegrated implants for bone conduction hearing 3 weeks post-surgery. Thirty consecutive adult patients were implanted with the Baha BI300 (Cochlear Bone Anchored Solutions) in our tertiary referral center. Implants were loaded with the sound processor 3 weeks post-surgery. Follow-up examinations were performed at 10 days; 3, 4, 6, 8, and 12 weeks; 6 months; and 1, 2, and 3 years after implant surgery. At each follow-up visit, implant stability quotient (ISQ) values were recorded by means of resonance frequency analysis, and soft tissue status was evaluated according to Holgers’ classification. ISQ trends, implant survival, and soft tissue reactions were compared to a population of 52 patients with the same type of implants loaded from 6 weeks post-surgery as part of another study. Subjective benefit was measured by means of the Glasgow Benefit Inventory (GBI). After an initial dip in ISQ at 10 days after implantation, a gradually increasing trend in ISQ was found until 6 months in both populations, after which ISQ values remained above baseline values. Implant survival was 97 % in the study population and 96 % in the comparison population. Clinically relevant soft tissue reactions were found in 0.9 % (study population) and 1.7 % (comparison population) of all visits. Patients reported subjective benefit; the mean GBI score was 22.8. In conclusion, loading these implants at 3 weeks post-surgery is safe based on the current study, as long-term results show high ISQ values and good implant survival and tolerability.
The current study suggests that loading the implant and 6-mm abutment with the sound processor at 3 weeks is safe. The stability of the implant as measured by ISQ values had reached its baseline value within 3 weeks after implantation. The degree of stability was not affected by implant loading. Only mild skin reactions were observed incidentally. This study supports the use of early loading at 3 weeks as current practice in healthy adults with good bone quality; thus, these adults can benefit from the rehabilitation of their hearing at an earlier stage.
In the past 30 years, a large amount of clinical and audiological research on bone conduction hearing devices has been performed. In this review, we give a brief history of the developments in indications, surgical techniques and sound processors with respect to implantable bone conduction devices like the bone-anchored hearing aid or Baha. Starting with the use of Baha in patients with bilateral conductive or mixed hearing loss (HL), the indications for such devices have been extended to patients with unilateral HL, children and moderate mentally retarded patients. Bilateral fitting has been shown to be beneficial in restoring binaural hearing in patients with bilateral acquired or congenital conductive HL. In addition, the surgical techniques used to implant the titanium fixture for Baha application have been modified and further developed to reach two main goals: (a) optimal osseointegration, and (b) preparation of the implant site to minimize the occurrence of soft tissue reactions. Currently, the most used techniques are the pedicled skin flap, dermatome and linear incision techniques. Several generations of the Baha(®) sound processor have been developed by Cochlear(TM) to provide sufficient amplification in different hearing situations. Improvements in sound quality, aesthetics and handling have been major points of interest. The Baha sound processors most often used today are the Baha(®) Divino, the Baha(®) Intenso and the Baha(®) Cordelle. Recently, the more flexible Baha(®) BP100 sound processor was launched.
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