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CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Int Arch Otorhinolaryngol 2019; 23(01): 012-017
DOI: 10.1055/s-0038-1670694
Original Research
Thieme Revinter Publicações Ltda Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Hearing Rehabilitation through Bone-Conducted Sound Stimulation: Preliminary Results

Fayez Bahmad Jr
1   Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Faculdade de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, DF, Brazil
3   Instituto Brasiliense de Otorrinolaringologia, Brasília, DF, Brazil
,
Carolina Costa Cardoso
2   Secretaria de Saúde do Distrito Federal, Brasília, DF, Brazil
3   Instituto Brasiliense de Otorrinolaringologia, Brasília, DF, Brazil
,
Fernanda Ferreira Caldas
2   Secretaria de Saúde do Distrito Federal, Brasília, DF, Brazil
3   Instituto Brasiliense de Otorrinolaringologia, Brasília, DF, Brazil
,
Monique Antunes De Souza Chelminski Barreto
2   Secretaria de Saúde do Distrito Federal, Brasília, DF, Brazil
,
Anacléia Melo Da Silva Hilgenberg
2   Secretaria de Saúde do Distrito Federal, Brasília, DF, Brazil
,
Marina Santos Teixeira
2   Secretaria de Saúde do Distrito Federal, Brasília, DF, Brazil
,
Lucieny Silva Martins Serra
2   Secretaria de Saúde do Distrito Federal, Brasília, DF, Brazil
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

11 June 2017

20 June 2018

Publication Date:
11 October 2018 (online)

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Abstract

Introduction The bone-anchored hearing aid (BAHA) is a bone conduction system that transmits the sound directly to the inner ear by surpassing the skin impedance and the subcutaneous tissue. It is indicated for patients with mixed, conductive and unilateral sensorineural hearing loss who did not benefit from conventional hearing aids (HAs). Although the benefits from BAHA are well demonstrated internationally, this field still lacks studies in Brazil.

Objective To assess the auditory rehabilitation process in BAHA users through audiological, speech perception and tinnitus aspects.

Methods Individuals with hearing loss were assessed before and after the implantation. The participants were subjected to pure tone audiometry in free field, functional gain audiometry, speech perception tests, tinnitus handicap inventory (THI) in open format, and to the visual analog scale (VAS).

Results It was found that the participants benefited from the use of BAHA. The difference in the performance of the participants before and after the BAHA surgery was significant in terms of hearing acuity. There was no statistically significant difference in the speech perception tests. The tinnitus assessment showed that 80% of the participants scored slight tinnitus severity in THI after using a BAHA. Eighty percent of the participants classified their tinnitus as absent to mild in the VAS after the surgery.

Conclusion Based on the results of the current study, we can conclude that the participants improved both the auditory perception and the tinnitus handicap.

Keywords

hearing loss - bone conduction - tinnitus
 

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