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Introduction: Although the Baha 5SP has been commercially available for six years, very few studies have been performed on the device's efficacy. The current study aims to evaluate the characteristics and audiological results in patients with severe‐to‐profound mixed hearing loss fitted with this superpower sound processor. Methods: This retrospective evaluation was conducted at a tertiary referral centre where a series of 82 adult patients with severe‐to‐profound mixed hearing loss were implanted with a percutaneous bone‐anchored hearing system and fitted with a superpower sound processor between 2016 and 2019. Patients with incomplete or unreliable audiological data (n = 24) were excluded, resulting in 58 data sets for analysis. The main outcome measures were unaided and aided pure‐tone thresholds and aided free‐field speech perception in quiet. Results: The median unaided air conduction (AC) threshold averaged across 0.5, 1 and 2 kHz (PTA0.5–2kHz) of all patients was 75 dB hearing loss (HL); the median unaided AC averaged across 1, 2 and 4 kHz (PTA1–4kHz) was 84 dB HL. For bone conduction and direct bone conduction, the median PTA0.5–2kHz was 52 and 47 dB HL, respectively. With the superpower device, the median free‐field speech reception threshold was 54 dB sound pressure level (SPL), and the median speech perception score at 65 dB SPL was 80%. Conclusions: At least 75% of the patients reached a maximum phoneme score of 70%. For patients with lower scores, the superpower device still provides a substantial hearing benefit. This makes the superpower device particularly suitable for patients with severe‐to‐profound mixed hearing loss with a contraindication for conventional hearing aids and/or cochlear implants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CONCLUSION Independent of implant design and surgical technique, high implant and abutment survival rates were observed for patients implanted with both the 3.75-mm-wide implant and the 4.5-mm-wide implant. Outcomes comprised implant stability, implant survival, soft tissue status, skin height and revision surgery. Prospective 5 year outcomes of different implant designs and surgical techniques in 68 patients with bone anchored hearing implants Keywords: bone conduction; bone-anchored hearing; hearing loss; implant stability quotient; tissue preservation; wide diameter implant EN bone conduction bone-anchored hearing hearing loss implant stability quotient tissue preservation wide diameter implant 65 69 5 12/16/22 20230101 NES 230101 Key Points Both the 4.5-mm-wide implant and the 3.75-mm-wide implant have excellent survival rates at 5-year follow-up. [Extracted from the article]

Objectives: Fatigue is frequently observed in children with chronic diseases and can affect the quality of life (QoL). However, research in children with unilateral hearing loss (UHL) is scarce. Subsequently, no studies investigated the effects of hearing aids on fatigue in children. This study investigates subjective fatigue and hearing‐related QoL in children with UHL. Furthermore, it evaluates the influence of hearing aids, subject‐specific factors, and respondent‐type on subjective fatigue. Study Design: A cross‐sectional study was conducted from June 2020 until September 2020 at the department of otorhinolaryngology in a tertiary referral center. Methods: The primary outcome was the difference in subjective fatigue and hearing‐related QoL between children with unaided UHL, aided UHL, and normal hearing. Subjective fatigue and hearing‐related QoL were measured using the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory™ Multidimensional Fatigue Scale (PedsQL™‐MFS) and Hearing Environments and Reflection on Quality of Life (HEAR‐QL™) questionnaires. Results: Along with 36 aided children with UHL, 34 unaided and 36 normal‐hearing children were included. Child reports revealed significantly more cognitive fatigue in children with aided UHL than children with normal hearing (median difference 12.5, P =.013). Parents reported more fatigue in children with UHL compared to normal‐hearing siblings. Especially children with aided UHL seemed at increased risk for fatigue. Children with UHL scored lower on hearing‐related QoL than children with normal hearing. No apparent differences were found in fatigue and QoL between children with unaided and aided UHL. Conclusion: Children with unaided and even aided UHL seem to experience more subjective fatigue and lower hearing‐related QoL than children with normal hearing. Prospective longitudinal studies are required to investigate the influence of hearing aids on fatigue and QoL in individual patients. Level of Evidence: 3 Laryngoscope, 2021 Laryngoscope, 133:189–198, 2023 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To compare the hearing performance of patients with conductive and mild mixed hearing loss and single‐sided sensorineural deafness provided with a new transcutaneous bone conduction hearing implant (the Baha Attract System) with unaided hearing as well as aided with a sound processor on a softband. Furthermore, to evaluate safety and subjective benefit before and after implantation of the test device. Participants: Fifty‐four adult patients in five participating centres were enrolled in this prospective study. Baseline data were collected during a pre‐operative visit, and after a softband trial, all patients were implanted unilaterally. Follow‐up visits were scheduled at 10 days, 4, 6, 12 weeks and 6 months. Main outcome measures. Free‐field hearing thresholds pure‐tone average (PTA4 in dB HL; mean threshold at 500, 1000, 2000, 4000 Hz; primary outcome measure). Individual free‐field hearing thresholds, speech recognition in quiet and in noise, soft tissue status during follow‐up and subjective benefit as measured with the Abbreviated Profile of Hearing Aid Benefit (APHAB), Speech, Spatial and Qualities of Hearing Scale (SSQ) and Health Utilities Index (HUI) questionnaires. Results: Implantation of the Baha Attract System resulted in favourable audiological outcomes compared to unaided conditions. On the primary outcome parameter, a statistically significant improvement was observed compared to unaided hearing for the patients with conductive/mixed hearing loss (mean PTA4 difference −20.8 dB HL, SD 9.8; P < 0.0001) and for the patients with single‐sided sensorineural deafness (SSD) (mean PTA4 difference −21.6 dB HL, SD 12.2; P < 0.0001). During all audiology tests, the non‐test ear was blocked. Statistically significant improvements were also recorded in speech tests in quiet and noise compared to unaided hearing for the conductive/mixed hearing loss group and for speech in quiet in the SSD group. Compared to the pre‐operative measurement with softband, no significant differences were recorded in the PTA4 free‐field hearing threshold or the other audiological outcomes in either of the groups (P > 0.05). Soft tissue‐related issues observed during follow‐up included numbness, pain/discomfort at the implant site and to a lesser extent pressure‐related skin complications. A declining trend was noted in the rate of these complications during follow‐up. Approximately 20% of patients reported some degree of numbness and 38% (slight) pain/discomfort at final follow‐up of 6 months. Good results on the subjective benefit questionnaires were observed, with statistically significant improvements on APHAB and SSQ questionnaires, and on the hearing attribute of HUI3. Conclusions: The Baha Attract System provided a significant improvement in hearing performance and subjective benefit compared to the pre‐operative unaided condition (with the non‐test ear blocked). Hearing performance of the Baha Attract was similar to a test situation with the same sound processor on a softband. A proportion of the patients reported numbness and pain/discomfort at the implant site during follow‐up, especially during the first post‐operative weeks. Based on the results of the current multicentre study, the Baha Attract can be considered as a treatment option for patients with the aforementioned hearing losses. Especially in the SSD patients, a careful selection procedure is warranted. Therefore, a pre‐operative trial should be part of the decision‐making process before fitting a patient with the Baha Attract System. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]