Acta Otolaryngol. 2015;135(12):1277-85. doi: 10.3109/00016489.2015.1067904. Epub 2015 Jul 29.

Quality standards for bone conduction implants.

Gavilan J¹, Adunka O², Agrawal S³, Atlas M⁴, Baumgartner WD⁵, Brill S⁶, Bruce I⁷, Buchman C⁸, Caversaccio M⁹, De Bodt MT¹⁰, Dillon M⁸, Godey B¹¹, Green K⁷, Gstoettner W⁵, Hagen R⁶, Hagr A¹², Han D¹³, Kameswaran M¹¹, Karltorp E¹⁴, Kompis M⁹, Kuzovkov V¹⁵, Lassaletta L¹, Li Y¹³, Lorens A¹⁶, Martin J¹⁷, Manoj M¹⁸, Mertens G¹⁰, Mlynski R¹⁹, Mueller J²⁰, O'Driscoll M⁷, Parnes L³, Pulibalathingal S¹⁸, Radeloff A⁶, Raine CH¹⁷, Rajan G⁴, Rajeswaran R²¹, Schmutzhard J²², Skarzynski H¹⁶, Skarzynski P¹⁶, Sprinzl G²³, Staecker H²⁴, Stephan K²², Sugarova S¹⁵, Tavora D⁴, Usami S²⁵, Yanov Y¹⁵, Zernotti M²⁶, Zorowka P²², de Heyning PV¹⁰.

Author information

1: a 1 Hospital La Paz , Madrid, Spain.
2: b 2 The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery , Columbus, OH, USA.
3: c 3 London Health Sciences Centre , London-Ontario, Canada.
4: d 4 Ear Science Institute Australia, University of Western Australia , Subiaco, Australia.
5: e 5 Ear, Nose and Throat Department, University Clinic Vienna , Austria.
6: f 6 Ear, Nose and Throat Clinic and Polyclinic, Würzburg University , Würzburg, Germany.
7: g 7 Manchester Auditory Implant, Central Manchester University Hospitals , Manchester, UK.
8: h 8 The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine , Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
9: i 9 Bern University Hospital, University Clinic for Ear, Nose, Throat, Head and Neck Surgery , Bern, Switzerland.
10: j 10 Antwerp University Hospital , Antwerp, Belgium.
11: k 11 University Hospital of Rennes , Rennes, France.
12: l 12 King Abdulaziz University Hospital, King Saud University KSU , Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
13: m 13 Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University , Beijing, PR China.
14: o 15 Karolinska University Hospital , Stockholm, Sweden.
15: p 16 St. Petersburg ENT and Speech Research Institute , St. Petersburg, Russia.
16: q 17 Institute of Physiology and Pathology of Hearing , Kajetany, Poland.
17: r 18 Bradford Royal Infirmary , Bradford, UK.
18: s 19 ENT Super Specialty Institute and Research Center , Kozhikode, India.
19: t 20 Ear, Nose and Throat Clinic and Polyclinic, Rostock Medical University , Rostock, Germany.
20: u 21 Ear, Nose and Throat Clinic and Polyclinic, Ludwig-Maximilians-University , Munich, Germany.
21: n 14 Madras ENT Research Foundation , Chennai, India.
22: v 22 Innsbruck University Ear, Nose and Throat Clinic , Innsbruck, Austria.
23: w 23 Ear, Nose and Throat Department, University Clinic St. Poelten , St. Poelten, Austria.
24: x 24 Kansas University Center for Balance and Hearing Disorders , Kansas City, USA.
25: y 25 Shinshu University School of Medicine , Matsumoto, Japan.
26: z 26 Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Sanatorium Allende , Cordoba, Argentina.

Abstract

CONCLUSION:

Bone conduction implants are useful in patients with conductive and mixed hearing loss for whom conventional surgery or hearing aids are no longer an option. They may also be used in patients affected by single-sided deafness.

OBJECTIVES:

To establish a consensus on the quality standards required for centers willing to create a bone conduction implant program.

METHOD:

To ensure a consistently high level of service and to provide patients with the best possible solution the members of the HEARRING network have established a set of quality standards for bone conduction implants. These standards constitute a realistic minimum attainable by all implant clinics and should be employed alongside current best practice guidelines.

RESULTS:

Fifteen items are thoroughly analyzed. They include team structure, accommodation and clinical facilities, selection criteria, evaluation process, complete preoperative and surgical information, postoperative fitting and assessment, follow-up, device failure, clinical management, transfer of care and patient complaints.