Long‐Term Stability and Safety of the Soundbridge Coupled to the Round Window

Abstract

Objective

The objective of the study was to demonstrate the long‐term outcomes of patients implanted with the active middle ear implant (AMEI) Vibrant Soundbridge (VSB) through coupling the floating mass transducer (FMT) to the round window (RW).

Methods

This retrospective study evaluated the short‐ and long‐term clinical performance (audiological outcomes) and safety (revisions/explantations) of the VSB coupled to the RW between 2013 and 2019 at the St. Pölten University Hospital, Austria. For the outcome analysis, the sample was divided into a short‐term examination group followed up for less than 12 months (<12 months) and a long‐term examination group followed up for more than 12 months (>12 months). Cumulative survival outcomes were separately analyzed for subjects with and without cholesteatoma.

Results

46 patients with an average long‐term follow‐up period of 31.43 months (13–75 months) were investigated. Complications requiring revision surgery were reported in total in seven patients with cholesteatoma (15.2%) and none in subjects without cholesteatoma (0%). Residual hearing was not affected by VSB surgery. Word understanding on the Freiburger monosyllabic speech test improved significantly at 65 dB ( P < .0001) and 80 dB ( P < .0001), and these outcomes were stable for long‐term follow up.

Conclusion

The VSB coupled to the RW is a safe implantation method for patients with conductive or mixed hearing loss. Hearing improvement was stable for the long‐term follow‐up up to 74 months. The revision rates are directly related to the underlying pathology of cholesteatoma (with radical cavity); thus, this special cohort requires additional counseling on potential complications.

Level of Evidence

4 (Case‐series) Laryngoscope, 131:E1434–E1442, 2021