The totally implantable middle ear device 'Esteem' for rehabilitation of severe sensorineural hearing loss.
|
| Abstract | CONCLUSION: The Esteem(®) device proved to offer beneficial results in subjects suffering from high frequency, severe bilateral sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) and may be considered as an alternative procedure to conventional hearing aids (HAs) or electroacoustic stimulation (EAS) systems. OBJECTIVES: Since the Esteem(®) totally implantable device has been shown to offer positive results among patients with moderate SNHL, this middle ear implant has also been suggested for subjects with a worse degree of hearing loss in order to predict its extended application, also in the nearly cochlear implantation range. METHODS: Esteem(®) implantation was carried out in 21 subjects with a mild (n = 3), moderate (MHL, n = 9) or severe (SHL, n = 9) degree of SNHL. The two latter groups, i.e. MHL and SHL, were compared in terms of preoperative versus postoperative pure tone and speech reception thresholds (SRTs). Similarly, they were also compared for the outcome from quality of life (QoL) questionnaires, such as the general Glasgow Benefit Inventory (GBI) and COSI. RESULTS: In the whole sample, mean hearing threshold levels improved from 70 to 48 dB; in the MHL group the mean hearing threshold level improved from 64 to 42 dB; in the SHL group the mean hearing threshold level improved from 82 to 58 dB. GBI and COSI scores were only slightly better in the MHL group than in the SHL group.
|
|---|---|
| Authors | Maurizio Barbara, Michela Biagini, Simonetta Monini |
| Journal | Acta oto-laryngologica (Acta Otolaryngol) Vol. 131 Issue 4 Pg. 399-404 (Apr 2011) ISSN: 1651-2251 [Electronic] England |
| PMID | 21198340 (Publication Type: Comparative Study, Journal Article) |
| Topics |
|
Join CureHunter, for free Research Interface BASIC access!
Realize the full power of the drug-disease research graph!