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Active bone-conducting hearing devices (aBCHD; e.g., MEDEL Bonebridge® (BB)) and active middle ear implants (aMEI; e.g., MEDEL Vibrant Soundbridge® (VSB)) use radio frequency transmission to send information from an external microphone and sound processor to an internally implanted transducer. These devices potentially have an advantage over devices with percutaneous links because the skin is closed over the implantable components, which should reduce the risk of skin problems and infection. On the other hand, surgical procedures are more complex, with a greater risk of damage due to surgery. The objectives of this research were to quantify the reliability and long-term survival of MEDEL VSB and BB devices, determine the adverse and serious adverse device-related complications, and consider associated causes. A multi-center observational retrospective and prospective study was conducted at eleven auditory implant centers in the United Kingdom. Data was collected using a surgical questionnaire and audiological reports. Data were obtained from patient notes or from prospective cases that had a minimum follow-up of one year post-implant. Consecutive patient records were reviewed. Datasets from 109 BB and 163 VSB were reviewed. Of these, 205 were retrospective case note reviews, and 67 were prospective cases. The mean follow-up was 4 and 6 years, respectively, for BB and VSB. Kaplan–Meier Survival analyses indicated that the BB survival was 97% and 93.3% at 1 and 5 years, respectively, and the VSB was 92.1% and 87% at the same time points. This is a large cohort study for the field and has indicated that BB and VSB are safe interventions. Care should be taken to monitor magnet strength in the first few months. For the majority of device-related effects, there was no apparent association with etiology. However, an interesting pattern emerged for individuals who exhibited an inflammatory response, e.g., adhesions or device extrusion, and those with a history of chronic suppurative otitis media. This should be considered in future work and is not surprising given that many VSB recipients have a complicated hearing history, often associated with otitis media. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To assess the vestibular function of children who had unilateral and bilateral cochlear implants compared with a control group of otherwise healthy children who had not been implanted.Study Design: Observational case-control study.Methods: Posturography was carried out in the form of a Modified Clinical Test of Sensory Interaction on Balance using a Wii Balance Board and the Vestio App on an iPod Touch. Thirty children in total were tested, 10 children in each cohort. Results in the form of root mean square calculations were available for each child.Results: Results showed a significant difference in the vestibular function of implanted children and the non-implanted control group (P < 0.05). As expected, children in all groups had more difficulty maintaining posture with their eyes closed on a compliant surface (P < 0.05). Thirty per cent of children with bilateral and 10% with unilateral cochlear implants were unable to complete testing.Conclusions: Our study demonstrates posturography as an inexpensive, easily operated tool that can be used to assess paediatric vestibular function. It showed a significant difference between the control group and the implanted groups. Further work prompted by this study will include interval post-operative testing to more accurately assess the effect that implantation has on vestibular function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]