Next-Day Loading of a Bone-Anchored Hearing System: Preliminary Results.

Objectives: To demonstrate the feasibility and efficacy for next-day loading of a percutaneous bone-anchored hearing device.

Study Design: Multicenter prospective cohort study.

Setting: Tertiary neurotologic referral centers.

Balloon Dilation of the Eustachian Tube: 12-Month Follow-up of the Randomized Controlled Trial Treatment Group.

Objective: Obstructive eustachian tube dysfunction (OETD) affects up to 5% of adults; however, available treatment strategies have limitations. It was previously reported that balloon dilation of the eustachian tube (BDET) with the eustachian tube balloon catheter + medical management (MM) results in a significantly higher proportion of subjects with normalized tympanograms versus MM alone at 6- and 24-week follow-up. The current analysis extends these initial findings by investigating the durability of BDET + MM treatment outcomes through 52 weeks.

History of Otosclerosis and Stapes Surgery.

The current advancements in otosclerosis therapy cannot be fully appreciated without studying the history, rediscovery, and modification of a once-forgotten procedure. The evolution of stapes surgery can be best summarized into 4 noteworthy eras: the preantibiotic era (which was forgotten and then rediscovered), the fenestration era (mainstreamed by Julius Lempert), the mobilization era (led by Samuel Rosen), and the modern stapedectomy era (revived and revolutionized by John Shea). Each era is unique with its own challenges and ingenious techniques to overcome what used to be among the leading causes of deafness.

Balloon dilation of the eustachian tube for dilatory dysfunction: A randomized controlled trial.

Objectives/hypothesis: To assess balloon dilation of the Eustachian tube with Eustachian tube balloon catheter in conjunction with medical management as treatment for Eustachian tube dilatory dysfunction.

Study Design: In this prospective, multicenter, randomized, controlled trial, we assigned, in a 2:1 ratio, patients age 22 years and older with Eustachian tube dilatory dysfunction refractory to medical therapy to undergo balloon dilation of the Eustachian tube with balloon catheter in conjunction with medical management or medical management alone.

Methods: The primary endpoint was normalization of tympanogram at 6 weeks.

Next generation shape memory prosthesis (NiTiBOND) for stapedotomy: Short-term results.

Objectives/hypothesis: To review hearing results and complications for the NiTiBOND next generation shape memory prosthesis and compare them with results for the current shape memory prosthesis (SMart).

Study Design: Retrospective, multicenter chart review.

Methods: Primary laser stapedotomy was performed using either a NiTiBOND or a SMart prosthesis.

Remote programming of cochlear implants: a telecommunications model.

Objective: Evaluate the effectiveness of remote programming for cochlear implants.

Study Design: Retrospective review of the cochlear implant performance for patients who had undergone mapping and programming of their cochlear implant via remote connection through the Internet.

Methods: Postoperative Hearing in Noise Test and Consonant/Nucleus/Consonant word scores for 7 patients who had undergone remote mapping and programming of their cochlear implant were compared with the mean scores of 7 patients who had been programmed by the same audiologist over a 12-month period.

Intratympanic injections of dexamethasone for long-term control of vertigo.

Objective: To examine whether intratympanic injection of dexamethasone is effective in long-term control of vertigo for patients with Ménière disease whose dietary and diuretic therapy has proved unsuccessful.

Study Design: Retrospective chart review performed at Carolina Ear and Hearing Clinic, Raleigh, North Carolina.

Methods: Thirty-four patients with intractable Meniere disease were given intratympanic injections of corticosteroids using dexamethasone 10 mg/mL for 4 weeks.

Reversible canal wall down mastoidectomy for acquired cholesteatomas: preliminary results.

Objectives: The educational objectives were to discuss a new technique to manage acquired cholesteatomas and to compare this with standard approaches used for cholesteatoma removal. The study objective was to determine the feasibility of using a new approach, the reversible canal wall down approach, in conjunction with bone cement to remove acquired cholesteatomas and, potentially, preserve the ossicular chain.

Study Design: Retrospective review of five patients who underwent resection of their acquired cholesteatomas using a technique that maximizes exposure, yet preserves the posterior canal wall and, potentially, the ossicular chain.

Intratympanic steroid injections for intractable Ménière's disease.

Objective: To examine whether intratympanic injection of dexamethasone is effective in controlling vertigo in patients with Ménière's disease who have persistent vertigo despite standard medical treatment, including a low-salt/no-caffeine diet and diuretics.

Study Design: A prospective study.

Methods: From August 1999 to November 2000, 21 patients with intractable Ménière's disease underwent intratympanic injections of 4 mg/mL dexamethasone over a period of 4 weeks as an office procedure.

Digital camera documentation system for facial nerve outcome assessment.

Objective: To describe the use of a digital camera to document facial nerve function after skull base surgery.

Setting: Patients undergoing skull base surgery at a tertiary care otologic and neurotologic clinic were used in the study.

Interventions: None.

Results of a humanitarian otologic and audiologic project performed outside of the United States: lessons learned from the "Oye, Amigos!" project.

From 1989 to 1993, "Oye, Amigos!" a combined group of hearing health and other medical professionals performed 18 humanitarian medical and audiologic trips to Tepic, Nayarit, Mexico. The group saw 1500 patients, issued over 800 hearing aids, and performed 150 surgeries on 123 patients. Our tympanoplasty success rate, defined as an intact tympanic membrane, was 41% during the first 2 years of the project but increased to 74% during the last 3 years.

A review of facial nerve outcome in 100 consecutive cases of acoustic tumor surgery.

Objective: To determine the facial nerve outcomes at a tertiary neurotological referral center specializing in acoustic neuroma and skull base surgery.

Study Design: Retrospective review of 100 consecutive patients in whom acoustic neuromas were removed using all of the standard surgical approaches.

Methods: Functional facial nerve outcomes were independently assessed using the House-Brackmann facial nerve grading system.

Ossiculoplasty with polymaleinate ionomeric prostheses.

This article discusses the role of the new Ionomeric middle ear prostheses for ossicular chain reconstruction. Although the prostheses are composed of a rigid alloplastic material, they can be easily sculpted to conform to the middle ear anatomy.