Ossicular Chain Reconstruction With Glass Ionomer Cement Following Removal of Active Middle Ear Implant.

The use of bone cement in ossicular chain reconstruction (OCR) represents an area of recent interest. This multi-institutional retrospective study assesses the efficacy of glass ionomer cement (GIC) in OCR following the explantation of a fully implantable active middle ear implant. A postoperative 4-frequency mean air-bone gap (ABG) was obtained for 15 subjects by averaging 0.

Management of a Complex Case of a Recurrent Paraganglioma.

Paragangliomas are rare, slow-growing, hypervascular, catecholamine-secreting neuroendocrine tumors arising from the paraganglia. Paragangliomas are rarely found in the head and neck and are typically benign, presenting as a painless, slow-growing mass. Surgical extirpation in combination with long-term surveillance has been long regarded as the standard of care; however, the advances in imaging, radiation therapy, and embolization techniques have improved diagnostic and therapeutic modalities.

Penetration of the Vestibule Following a History of Stapedectomy.

This case study describes a 72-year-old female with a history of stapedectomy 40 years prior. She presented experiencing vertigo, fogginess, and imbalance for 9 months. Computed tomography (CT) imaging revealed that the prosthesis was displaced into the vestibule by approximately 2.

Reimplantation of an Extruding Cochlear Implant.

Cochlear implants have successfully improved hearing in severe and profoundly deaf patients in addition to improving their quality of life. Implant extrusion and wound infection of a cochlear implant are one of the most common postoperative complications, although it does not occur frequently (1.5%-5% of cases).

Speech Perception Gap Is Predictive of an Active Middle Ear Implant Advantage.

Objective: Evaluate whether the difference between word recognition score (WRS) obtained unaided under earphone and with a hearing aid (HA), the speech perception gap (SPgap), is predictive of performance with a totally implantable active middle ear implant (AMEI).

Study Design: Retrospective review of systematically collected data.

Setting: Private otologic practice.

Totally Implantable Active Middle Ear Implants.

The Envoy Esteem and the Carina system are the 2 totally implantable hearing devices. The Esteem is designed for patients with bilateral moderate to severe sensorineural hearing loss who have an unaided speech discrimination score of greater than and equal to 40%. The Carina system is designed for patients with moderate to severe sensorineural hearing loss or those with mixed hearing loss.

Totally implantable active middle ear implant: Hearing and safety results in a large series.

Objectives: To evaluate hearing performance and safety measures in a large group of totally implantable active middle ear implant (AMEI) wearers.

Methods: Retrospective case review of 172 ears (166 patients) with sensorineural hearing loss undergoing implantation of a totally implantable AMEI. Pure-tone air and bone thresholds, pure-tone average, speech reception threshold (SRT), and word recognition scores (WRS) at phonetically balanced maximum and at 50 dB (WRS50) were assessed at baseline unaided, with a hearing aid (baseline aided [BLA]), with the implant at activation, and for best implant postoperative measurement.

Totally implantable hearing system: Five-year hearing results.

Objectives/hypothesis: 1) To provide long-term hearing outcome measures of a totally implantable hearing system (implant) and compare to the baseline unaided (BLU) and baseline aided (BLA) conditions, and 2) discuss relevant safety measures.

Study Design: Prospective, nonrandomized, multicenter, single-subject-as-own-control design.

Methods: Fifty-one subjects with mild to severe sensorineural hearing loss were implanted between 2008 and 2009 and enrolled in this postmarket approval study in the setting of private and hospital-based practices.

The Envoy Esteem implantable hearing system.

This article discusses the Envoy Esteem implantable hearing system, a completely implantable hearing device. The device is indicated for patients older than 18 years with stable moderate to severe sensorineural hearing loss and good speech discrimination. The device is placed through an intact canal wall tympanomastoidectomy with a wide facial recess approach.

Profound high-frequency sensorineural hearing loss treatment with a totally implantable hearing system.

Objective: This study seeks to assess the efficacy of the Envoy Esteem totally implantable hearing device in treating profound high-frequency sensorineural hearing loss.

Patients: Five patients with profound high-frequency hearing loss participating in a prospective, multi-center, nonrandomized Food and Drug Administration clinical trial.

Intervention: Implantation with Esteem totally implantable hearing device and comparison to baseline unaided and aided conditions.

Envoy Esteem Totally Implantable Hearing System: phase 2 trial, 1-year hearing results.

Objectives: (1) To assess outcomes of the Envoy Esteem Totally Implantable Hearing System as measured by hearing results compared with preimplant baseline unaided (BLU) and best-fit aided conditions (BLA) and (2) to determine safety of the device.

Study Design: Prospective, nonrandomized, multicenter, subject-as-own-control, US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) trial.

Setting: Private practice and hospital-based.

The management of pediatric cholesteatoma.

Pediatric cholesteatoma can be congenital or acquired. The two types appear to be separate and distinct entities based on molecular studies and clinical course. Pediatric cholesteatoma behaves differently from cholesteatomas in the adult.