Auditory brainstem implants in neurofibromatosis Type 2: is open speech perception feasible?

Object: Patients with bilateral auditory nerve destruction may perceive some auditory input with auditory brainstem implants (ABIs). Despite technological developments and trials in new stimulation sites, hearing is very variable and of limited quality. The goal of this study was to identify advantageous and critical factors that influence the quality of auditory function, especially speech perception.

International consensus on Vibrant Soundbridge® implantation in children and adolescents.

Objective: Active middle ear implants augment hearing in patients with sensorineural, conductive, and mixed hearing losses with great success. However, the application of active middle ear implants has been restricted to compromised ears in adults only. Recently, active middle ear implants have been successfully implanted in patients younger than 18 years of age with all types of hearing losses.

The High Rate CIS Auditory Brainstem Implant for Restoration of Hearing in NF-2 Patients.

Aim: Hearing preservation is one of the major goals of acoustic neuroma surgery. In NF-2 patients, bilateral hearing loss is frequently caused by the disease or results from its treatment. Several implant devices for electrical stimulation of the cochlear nucleus have been developed to restore serviceable hearing in these patients.

Rare tumors of the internal auditory canal.

The study was performed to identify the incidence and histology of rare tumors with growth restricted to the internal auditory canal (IAC) that are different from vestibular schwannoma (VS). Furthermore, the question was addressed whether a preoperative diagnosis would be possible in these cases. A series of 351 patients that were operated on for IAC tumors through a transtemporal or translabyrinthine approach was investigated retrospectively.

Analysis of ceiling effects occurring with speech recognition tests in adult cochlear-implanted patients.

This article presents a simple method of analysing speech test scores which are biased through ceiling effects. Eighty postlingually deafened adults implanted with a MED-EL COMBI 40/40+ cochlear implant (CI) were administered a numbers test and a sentence test at initial device activation and at 1, 3, 6, 12 and 24 months thereafter. As a measure for speech recognition performance, the number of patients who scored at the 'ceiling level' (i.

Induction chemotherapy with paclitaxel and cisplatin and CT-based 3D radiotherapy in patients with advanced laryngeal and hypopharyngeal carcinomas--a possibility for organ preservation.

Background: To evaluate the effect of paclitaxel/cisplatin induction chemotherapy (ICHT) and CT-based radiotherapy (RT) on larynx preservation, tumor control, and survival in patients with larynx/hypopharynx carcinoma eligible for total laryngectomy (TL) or TL plus partial pharyngectomy (TLPP).

Patients And Methods: Fifty patients eligible for TL or TLPP were enrolled onto a prospective study and treated with ICHT (200 mg/m(2) paclitaxel, 100 mg/m(2) cisplatin; day 1, 22). In patients with complete or partial tumor response RT (69.

Assessment of auditory skills in 140 cochlear implant children using the EARS protocol.

Auditory performance of cochlear implant (CI) children was assessed with the Listening Progress Profile (LiP) and the Monosyllabic-Trochee-Polysyllabic-Word Test (MTP) following the EARS protocol. Additionally, the 'initial drop' phenomenon, a recently reported decrease of auditory performance occurring immediately after first fitting, was investigated. Patients were 140 prelingually deafened children from various clinics and centers worldwide implanted with a MEDEL COMBI 40/40+.

An auditory brainstem implant system.

Neurofibromastosis type II (NF2) is a condition that may result in bilateral acoustic neuromas. The tumors and their removal may cause profound bilateral deafness. Because the auditory nerve is compromised, people with NF2 are unable to receive a cochlear implant to restore a sensation of hearing.

Prolonged middle ear ventilation with the cartilage shield T-tube tympanoplasty.

Background: In 1994, the favorable experience with composite cartilage shield tympanoplasty was reported to the American Otological Society. On that occasion, the technical question regarding the concomitant placement of a ventilating tube was posed. In response, the authors proposed that the tympanostomy tube be incorporated in the cartilage graft.

Speech reception thresholds obtained in a symmetrical four-loudspeaker arrangement from bilateral users of MED-EL cochlear implants.

Objective: The purpose of the study was to investigate speech reception in noise in subjects who had undergone bilateral implantation with multichannel cochlear implants.

Methods: Nine adults with bilateral MED-EL implants were included in the study. The subjects were tested using both implants and the better implant only.

Revision surgery after saccotomy for Meniere's disease: does it make sense?

Saccotomy is an established surgical treatment for Meniere's disease that involves exposing and opening the endolymphatic sac and draining the endolymph. However, in patients experiencing recurrent vertigo after saccotomy, it is questionable whether revision saccotomy should be recommended as opposed to more invasive procedures, such as neurectomy of the vestibular nerve. To determine the utility of revision saccotomy, we conducted a retrospective study of 29 patients undergoing this procedure for recurrent vertigo.

Management of anterior epitympanic cholesteatoma: expectations after epitympanic approach and canal wall reconstruction.

Background: The epitympanic approach to cholesteatoma provides excellent access to the anterior epitympanic space. When it is combined with reconstruction of the scutum, it is tempting to propose that the approach may offer the patient the advantage of both canal wall up and canal wall down techniques and the disadvantages of neither. In theory, then, the incidence of residual/recurrent cholesteatoma should be no greater than that for canal wall down surgery, and the need for a second look often associated with the canal wall up procedure should be less compelling.