Preliminary audiologic and peri-operative outcomes of the Sophono™ transcutaneous bone conduction device: A systematic review

Bone Conduction Implants for Hearing Rehabilitation in Skull Base Tumor Patients

“…Benefits of the transcutaneous implant include less required care and maintenance of the surrounding hair and skin tissue, improved cosmesis, a reduced need for daily cleaning and maintenance, and reportedly lower revision surgery rates. 15,23,[35][36][37] Most notably, a significant percentage of patients who fall within candidacy guidelines for a BCI system may reject the skinpiercing abutment for aesthetic reasons. 13,15,23,36 A review of the published outcomes from transcutaneous BCI system use shows the devices to be generally safe and effective.…”

“…15,23,[35][36][37] Most notably, a significant percentage of patients who fall within candidacy guidelines for a BCI system may reject the skinpiercing abutment for aesthetic reasons. 13,15,23,36 A review of the published outcomes from transcutaneous BCI system use shows the devices to be generally safe and effective. Along with some functional improvements that are comparable to percutaneous devices, there is a relatively low rate of fixture loss and high rates of patient satisfaction.…”

“…Along with some functional improvements that are comparable to percutaneous devices, there is a relatively low rate of fixture loss and high rates of patient satisfaction. 23,35,36 However, the potential benefits of the transcutaneous BCIs also come with obvious costs. Two noteworthy concerns are that these devices are generally less efficient due to the complexity of sound transmission through an intact skin layer when compared with direct bone conduction transmission, and that sound processors associated with these devices need to maintain significant pressure on the underlying soft tissue for effective coupling.…”

“…With regard to the second challenge, the coupling strength required for proper sound transmission through the implant may cause discomfort or skin/soft tissue complications. 15,23,36 The magnet strength should provide reliable retention of the sound processor but clinicians should exercise care when selecting magnet strength and fitting the magnetic sound processor to the implant to reduce discomfort for patients. A multicenter retrospective study revealed that as many as 25% of patients may complain of skin irritation and pain around the magnet site.…”

“…The incidence of major complications in BCI systems is generally low, with a majority of difficulties arising from soft tissue issues at the implant site, such as infections or skin reactions, as noted above. 12,13,36,37,40,41 Though there is a relative paucity of high-powered prospective studies that consider BCIs complications with uniform standards of reporting, a few specific points from the extant literature are noteworthy. 12 Dun et al published a large single-center experience highlighting the incidence of adverse reactions in 1,132 implants, and it was shown that some degree of skin reaction, ranging from mild erythema to complete skin overgrowth of the implant was seen in 14.6% of cases.…”