The additional apical array leads to significant improvement in auditory performance in patients with obliterated cochleae by increasing the number of intracochlear electrodes. Despite reduced pitch discrimination, the apical array provides important information for speech recognition. For this reason the Double Array provides a profound advantage for patients with obliterated or surgically inaccessible cochleae.

Acute tinnitus is often curable. However, only palliative treatment is available for chronic tinnitus. The otorhinolaryngologist plays a crucial role in the management of the disorder.

Over the last five years the Symphonix Vibrant soundbridge (VSB), an implantable hearing device, has proven an effective alternative treatment modality for patients suffering from moderate to severe sensorineural hearing loss. The results from the majority of our 40 patients are very encouraging but reveal clinical variations in benefit influenced by the coupling of the transducer to the ossicular chain. This study describes a set-up for measuring the sound pressure level in the external auditory canal when the middle ear implant is activated. The reverse transfer function allows the transducer performance to be determined both intra- and postoperatively. The sound pressure level shows a strong correlation with the stapes footplate displacement and free-field audiometry.

No abstract