Bone-anchored hearing implants in single-sided deafness patients: Long-term use and satisfaction by gender.

Abstract

To examine the long-term satisfaction and possible effects of gender in patients with single-sided deafness (SSD) who underwent bone-anchored hearing implant (BAHI) surgery. Retrospective case-control study. All (n = 145) consecutive SSD patients fitted with a BAHI between January 2001 and October 2011 were asked to complete a questionnaire consisting of the Abbreviated Profile of Hearing Aid Benefit (APHAB), the Communication Profile for the Hearing Impaired (CPHI), and the SSD questionnaire. Twenty-three of the 135 responding patients (17%) reported discontinuation of the device over an average follow-up time of 61.7 months. No significant differences were found in the degree of disability or coping between men and women, according to the APHAB and CPHI scores. Improvement in quality of life and appreciation of the BAHI were not affected by gender, age, directional hearing ability, and handling of the device. The appearance of the device positively affected their appreciation. At the mean follow-up time of 117 months, 69.2% was using their BAHI. In the domains background noise, reverberant surroundings, and aversion to sounds, the mean APHAB scores were significantly changed at 3 months, 1 year, and 10 years after implantation. Our study examined the results of BAHI use in SSD patients over a relatively long follow-up period, with an average of 5 years. The majority of users (83%) were satisfied with the device. No significant gender differences were in terms of reported appreciation, hearing disability, or coping with a BAHI. 3b.