A Single Intratympanic Triamcinolone Acetonide Administration Elicits Long-Term Reduction in Impedances Following Cochlear Implantation.

Background: Intracochlear fibrosis and inflammation remain important limitations in cochlear implantation (CI). Glucocorticoids are routinely used to ameliorate the inflammatory response following CI. This study investigates the long-term effects of an intratympanically-applied triamcinolone-acetonide suspension on intracochlear impedance changes in CI recipients and investigates differences in drug concentrations and timepoints of injection.

MRI surveillance after translabyrinthine vestibular schwannoma resection and cochlear implantation: is it feasible?

Purpose: Cochlear implantation in patients with vestibular schwannomas is of increasing importance and interest. Two remaining challenges are the assessment of conduction of the cochlear nerve and the possibility of postoperative surveillance with magnetic resonance imaging. The aim of the current study was to assess follow-up imaging and determine the visibility of the internal auditory canal after vestibular schwannoma resection and cochlear implantation as well as in patients with persistent vestibular schwannomas and cochlear implants in place.

Investigation of inner ear drug delivery with a cochlear catheter in piglets as a representative model for human cochlear pharmacokinetics.

Hearing impairment is the most common sensory disorder in humans, and yet hardly any medications are licensed for the treatment of inner ear pathologies. Intricate pharmacokinetic examinations to better understand drug distribution within this complex organ could facilitate the development of novel therapeutics. For such translational research projects, animal models are indispensable, but differences in inner ear dimensions and other anatomical features complicate the transfer of experimental results to the clinic.

The Effect of Pulse Shape and Interphase Gaps on Speech Perception and Perceived Sound Quality in Electrical Hearing.

Background: Stimulation with triphasic pulses has been shown to reduce the occurrence of unwanted facial nerve stimulation (FNS) with cochlear implants (CIs). However, there is little data available on how different pulse shapes affect the hearing outcome with electrical hearing in general. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of different stimulation pulse shapes on speech perception in noise, as well as loudness perception and subjective sound quality.

The Functional Hearing Gain with an Active Transcutaneous Bone Conduction Implant Does Not Correlate with the Subjective Hearing Performance.

The functional hearing outcome with hearing implants does not always properly reflect the subjective benefit in everyday listening situations. In this study, the functional hearing gain and the impact on the subjective hearing ability and quality of life were assessed in patients with a Bonebridge. A chart review was performed on 45 patients with a Bonebridge who were provided with questionnaires regarding the hearing quality and health-related quality of life during their last clinical visit.

Robotic Cochlear Implant Surgery: Imaging-Based Evaluation of Feasibility in Clinical Routine.

Robotic surgery has been proposed in various surgical fields to reduce recovery time, scarring, and to improve patients' outcomes. Such innovations are ever-growing and have now reached the field of cochlear implantation. To implement robotic ear surgery in routine, it is of interest if preoperative planning of a safe trajectory to the middle ear is possible with clinically available image data.

Is otologic surgery contributing to the opioid epidemic?

Background: The opioid epidemic is a significant public health crisis challenging the lives of North Americans. Interestingly, this problem does not exist to the same extent in Europe. Surgeons play a significant role in prescribing opioids, especially in the context of post-operative pain management.

Safety and Efficacy of Implantation of the Bonebridge Active Transcutaneous Bone-Conduction Device Using Implant Lifts.

Background: Implant lifts were recently introduced to facilitate implantation of the Bonebridge and to reduce the risk of uncovering the sigmoid sinus and/or dura.

Purpose: The current study analyzed medical, technical, and audiological outcomes of implantation with the Bonebridge implant using lifts.

Research Design: This was a retrospective study on all consecutive patients implanted with a bone-conduction hearing implant at a tertiary medical referral center between March 2012 and October 2018.

Long-Term, Multicenter Results With the First Transcutaneous Bone Conduction Implant.

Objective: Investigation of long-term safety and performance of an active, transcutaneous bone conduction implant in adults and children up to 36 months post-implantation.

Study Design: Prospective, single-subject repeated-measures design.

Setting: Otolaryngology departments of eight German and Austrian hospitals.

Performance With an Adhesive Bone Conduction Device in Active Transcutaneous Bone Conduction Implant Users.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the performance and limits of an adhesive bone conduction hearing aid in patients implanted with an active transcutaneous bone conduction implant. Therefore, hearing performance and subjective benefit of patients with mixed and conductive hearing loss were assessed with both bone conduction devices.

Study Design And Patients: This cohort study was conducted at a tertiary care center.

Speech Segregation in Active Middle Ear Stimulation: Masking Release With Changing Fundamental Frequency.

Objectives: Temporal fine structure information such as low-frequency sounds including the fundamental frequency (F0) is important to separate different talkers in noisy environments. Speech perception in noise is negatively affected by reduced temporal fine structure resolution in cochlear hearing loss. It has been shown that normal-hearing (NH) people as well as cochlear implant patients with preserved acoustic low-frequency hearing benefit from different F0 between concurrent talkers.

A Randomized Cross-over Trial Comparing a Pressure-free, Adhesive to a Conventional Bone Conduction Hearing Device.

Objectives: The main aim of this study was to compare the average daily wearing time of a conventional bone conduction device with a pressure-free, adhesive bone conduction device. Further, audiologic and quality-of-life outcome parameters were evaluated.

Methods: An academic, prospective, randomized cross-over trial was performed at a single center.

Single Sided Deaf Cochlear Implant Users in the Difficult Listening Situation: Speech Perception and Subjective Benefit.

Objectives: Patients with single-sided deafness (SSD) have great difficulties in listening situations which rely on binaural auditory processing. The purpose of this study was to examine to which extent a cochlear implant (CI) can improve speech perception outcomes in various noisy listening environments. Additionally, the ability to use interaural level differences for sound localization and subjective benefit with the CI were assessed.

Fixed and adaptive beamforming improves speech perception in noise in cochlear implant recipients equipped with the MED-EL SONNET audio processor.

Objective: To determine the impact of the fixed and adaptive beamforming technology of the new MED-EL SONNET cochlear implant audio processor on speech perception in noise.

Methods: The study cohort comprises 18 postlingually deafened adult cochlear implant recipients with at least six months of experience. Speech reception thresholds were measured with the Oldenburg Sentence Test in continuous, speech-shaped noise.

Masking release with changing fundamental frequency: Electric acoustic stimulation resembles normal hearing subjects.

It has been shown that patients with electric acoustic stimulation (EAS) perform better in noisy environments than patients with a cochlear implant (CI). One reason for this could be the preserved access to acoustic low-frequency cues including the fundamental frequency (F0). Therefore, our primary aim was to investigate whether users of EAS experience a release from masking with increasing F0 difference between target talker and masking talker.

Sound Localization in Patients With Congenital Unilateral Conductive Hearing Loss With a Transcutaneous Bone Conduction Implant.

Objective: There is no consensus regarding the benefit of implantable hearing aids in congenital unilateral conductive hearing loss (UCHL). This study aimed to measure sound source localization performance in patients with congenital UCHL and contralateral normal hearing who received a new bone conduction implant.

Study Design: Evaluation of within-subject performance differences for sound source localization in a horizontal plane.