Application of active middle ear implants in patients with severe mixed hearing loss.

Objective: To determine the long-term benefit of the Vibrant Soundbridge (VSB) middle ear implant in patients with severe mixed hearing loss and to compare it with other hearing devices.

Design: A retrospective analysis.

Setting: University-affiliated medical center.

Endoscopic carbon dioxide laser diverticulostomy versus endoscopic staple-assisted diverticulostomy to treat Zenker's diverticulum.

Background: The 2 most frequently used endoscopic methods to treat Zenker's diverticulum are staple-assisted and CO(2) laser esophagodiverticulostomy.

Methods: The study centered around a retrospective evaluation of 107 patients with Zenker's diverticulum who were treated endoscopically by CO(2) laser (n = 72) or staple-assisted diverticulostomy (n = 35).

Results: Patients in the staple-assisted group had a shorter duration of postoperative hospitalization, attributed to earlier oral intake, than patients in the CO(2) laser group.

Intraoperative auditory steady state response measurements during Vibrant Soundbridge middle ear implantation in patients with mixed hearing loss: preliminary results.

Objective: To optimize intraoperatively the coupling of the floating mass transducer (FMT) of the Vibrant Soundbridge middle ear implant to the round or oval cochlear window in patients with mixed hearing loss.

Study Design: Intraoperative measurement of objective hearing thresholds using auditory steady state responses (ASSRs).

Setting: Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, tertiary referral hospital.

Profound mixed hearing loss: bone-anchored hearing aid system or cochlear implant?

Objectives: We evaluated 5 patients who were changed over from a Baha Cordelle to a cochlear implant (CI). Moreover, the level of phoneme score was determined at which a Baha Cordelle user was better helped with a CI.

Methods: We offer descriptive case reports and a retrospective evaluation of speech recognition in Baha Cordelle users and CI users.

The floating mass transducer of the Vibrant Soundbridge interposed between the stapes and tympanic membrane after incus necrosis.

Hypothesis: The floating mass transducer (FMT) of the Vibrant Soundbridge (VSB) can be interposed in the middle ear in case of an absent incus.

Background: The VSB is a middle ear implant in which the FMT is attached to the long process of the incus to directly drive the ossicular chain. In this case report, there was gradual deterioration in speech perception after VSB fitting and deterioration in hearing thresholds.

Audiological application criteria for implantable hearing aid devices: a clinical experience at the Nijmegen ORL clinic.

Objectives/hypothesis: To define audiological application criteria for different implantable hearing aid devices.

Study Design: Retrospective study.

Methods: Comparisons were made between aided speech recognition scores obtained at conversational level (65 dB) in patients with the Vibrant Soundbridge (VSB) (n = 22), the Otologics middle ear transducer (MET) (n = 10), conventional hearing aids (behind-the-ears) (n = 47), and cochlear implants (CIs) (n = 123).