Use of an ARC for treatment for a single extrahepatic PSS resulted in low morbidity and mortality rates. Certain preoperative factors were associated with increased risk of postoperative death, continued portosystemic shunting, and long-term outcome.
The test device provides good hearing performance in patients with a conductive hearing loss or single-sided sensorineural deafness, with good wearing comfort and minimal soft tissue complications.
The test implant showed higher mean ISQ values at the time of placement and over time. The level of osseointegration reached with the implants in adults as early as 6 weeks after implantation was sufficient to support the sound processor. The test implant system is expected to provide additional benefits related to the improvement of the degree of osseointegration, especially for patients with thin or compromised bone.
Objective. To compare hearing and speech understanding between a new, nonskin penetrating Baha system (Baha Attract) to the current Baha system using a skin-penetrating abutment. Methods. Hearing and speech understanding were measured in 16 experienced Baha users. The transmission path via the abutment was compared to a simulated Baha Attract transmission path by attaching the implantable magnet to the abutment and then by adding a sample of artificial skin and the external parts of the Baha Attract system. Four different measurements were performed: bone conduction thresholds directly through the sound processor (BC Direct), aided sound field thresholds, aided speech understanding in quiet, and aided speech understanding in noise. Results. The simulated Baha Attract transmission path introduced an attenuation starting from approximately 5 dB at 1000 Hz, increasing to 20–25 dB above 6000 Hz. However, aided sound field threshold shows smaller differences and aided speech understanding in quiet and in noise does not differ significantly between the two transmission paths. Conclusion. The Baha Attract system transmission path introduces predominately high frequency attenuation. This attenuation can be partially compensated by adequate fitting of the speech processor. No significant decrease in speech understanding in either quiet or in noise was found.
This extensive long-term clinical investigation demonstrated that the test implant is more stable in terms of ISQ-values and provides high tolerability for the soft tissue. The results show that implant loading at 6 weeks is safe.
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