Vibrant Soundbridge surgery in patients with severe external otitis: complications of a transcanal approach.

Objective: To evaluate the transcanal surgical implantation of the semi-implantable Vibrant Soundbridge (VSB) device in patients with severe external otitis.

Study Design: Retrospective analysis.

Methods: Long-term postoperative complications and postoperative hearing thresholds were evaluated in 13 adults with bilateral sensorineural hearing loss (average of between 40 and 55 dB HL) and therapy-resistant external otitis after implantation of the VSB by a transcanal surgical method.

Results: Postoperative audiometry findings were comparable with those reported after the transmastoidal posterior tympanotomy approach. In 2 patients, the chorda tympani was intentionally sacrificed to maximize the size of the facial recess. Seven postoperative complications occurred in 6 patients (46%) during a mean follow-up period of 51 months: extrusion of the conducting wire into the ear canal (n=5), collapse of the cartilaginous part of the ear canal (n=1), and tympanic membrane perforation (n=1). In the revision operations that added additional layers of fascia for the patients with wire extrusions, repeated extrusion occurred in 3 of 4 cases.

Conclusion: The transcanal approach for the implantation of the VSB has led to postoperative complications different from those reported after the transmastoidal posterior tympanotomy approach. External otitis should be considered as a contraindication for VSB surgery by the transcanal approach.