Alternative Inverted Middle Fossa Approach in Bonebridge Surgery. Technique, Results and Complications

Abstract Introduction The transmastoid approach is the most recommended technique to Bonebridge surgery, while in patients with bad anatomy or in the canal wall down technique, retrosigmoid or Middle Fossa Approaches are the alternative surgical options. Objective To describe a novel alternative approach called inverted middle fossa approach (IMFA) and its technique and audiological outcomes. Methods Seven patients submitted to the IMFA were included. All patients presented conductive and mixed hearing loss with bone thresholds of the audiogram > 40 dB. The audiological test was conducted pre- and postoperatively. Results A total of 5 males and 2 females, aged 13,8 years old (range 6-25 years old) were studied. The average follow-up was of 20 months (12 to 32 months). All patients presented aural atresia, except one with severe osseous-fibrous dysplasia of the temporal bone. Two patients showed bilateral compromise, three patients had associated Goldenhar and Treacher Collins syndrome. On the preoperative audiograms, air conduction (AC) thresholds showed a PTA4 (0.5, 1, 2 and 4 kHz) of 66.7 dB (standard deviation [SD] = ± 7.8), while the bone conduction thresholds reached an average of 11.2 dB (SD = ± 6.9). The postoperative thresholds did not change, and additional sensorineural damage was not observed before activation. Four weeks after surgery, all the patients were fitted with the external processor. The postoperative audiological aided exam showed AC PTA 4 thresholds of 18.9 dB (SD = ± 5.9). Conclusion The IMFA allows the nearest position of the microphone to the external auditory canal. The technique is a suitable option to the 3 classical approaches with similar rate of audiological results. More investigation is needed to determine the benefit of the novel approach compared with the others.

Active Bone Conduction Prosthesis: BonebridgeTM

Introduction Bone conduction implants are indicated for patients with conductive and mixed hearing loss, as well as for patients with single-sided deafness (SSD). The transcutaneous technology avoids several complications of the percutaneous bone conduction implants including skin reaction, skin growth over the abutment, and wound infection. The Bonebridge (MED-EL, Austria) prosthesis is a semi-implantable hearing system: the BCI (Bone Conduction Implant) is the implantable part that contains the Bone Conduction-Floating Mass Transducer (BC-FMT), which applies the vibrations directly to the bone; the external component is the audio processor Amadé BB (MED-EL, Austria), which digitally processes the sound and sends the information through the coil to the internal part. Bonebridge may be implanted through three different approaches: the transmastoid, the retrosigmoid, or the middle fossa approach. Objective This systematic review aims to describe the world́ s first active bone conduction implant system, Bonebridge, as well as describe the surgical techniques in the three possible approaches, showing results from implant centers in the world in terms of functional gain, speech reception thresholds and word recognition scores. Data Synthesis The authors searched the MEDLINE database using the key term Bonebridge. They selected only five publications to include in this systematic review. The review analyzes 20 patients that received Bonebridge implants with different approaches and pathologies. Conclusion Bonebridge is a solution for patients with conductive/mixed hearing loss and SSD with different surgical approaches, depending on their anatomy. The system imparts fewer complications than percutaneous bone conduction implants and shows proven benefits in speech discrimination and functional gain.(AU)

Cambios olfatorios en pacientes con rinosinusitis crónica polipoidea tratados mediante cirugía endoscópica nasosinusal (CENS) / Olfactory changes in patients with chronic polypoid rhinosinusitis treated with functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) / Mudanças olfativas em pacientes com rinossinusite crônicapolipóide tratados mediante cirurgia endoscópica nasosinusal (Cens)

Introducción y objetivos: La poliposis nasal se encuentra presente en el 4% de la población general y entre el 25-30% de aquellos con rinosinusitis crónica. La presencia de pólipos nasales es un importante factor de riesgo para alteraciones en el olfato. Objetivo: establecer si existe mejoría del olfato en pacientes con poliposis nasal luego de ser intervenidos quirúrgicamente con cirugía endoscópica nasosinusal. Métodos: Se tomó una muestra de 20 pacientes con rinosinusitis crónica polipoidea tratados mediante cirugía oscópica nasosinusal por un mismo cirujano, con follow up a 30 días en los que se examinó el nivel de olfato pre y postoperatorio mediante el método del Connecticut Chemosensory Clinical Research Center. Se evaluó prequirúrgicamente el grado de poliposis mediante el score tomográfico de Lund McKay. Resultados: Aumento del puntaje de olfato en pacientes con poliposis nasal luego de la polipectomía con cirugía endoscópica nasosinusal (p<0,0001). Relación lineal entre el score tomográfico preoperatorio y el grado de mejoría del olfato (p<0,05). Conclusiones: Existe mejoría del olfato en paciente con rinosinusitis crónica polipoidea luego del tratamiento de esta patología con cirugía endoscópica nasosinusal. Se observó, también, que a mayor grado de poliposis preoperatoria, mayor es la mejoría del olfato postoperatorio.

Introduction and objectives: nasal polyposis affects 4% of the general population and 25% - 30% of pa tients with chronic rhinosinusitis. The presence of nasal polyps poses a significant risk of developing olfaction disorders. The aim of this study is to determine whether patients with nasal polyps show any olfactory improvement after treatment with functional endoscopic sinus surgery. Methods: 20 patients were examined. All of them suffered from chronic rhinosinusitis with polyps and were treated with functional endoscopic sinus surgery by the same surgeon. A 30-day follow-up was conducted, studying the patients’ pre-and-post-operative/ surgery olfaction levels through the method of the Connecticut Chemosensory Clinical Research Center. Polyposis was staged preoperatively, using the Tomographic Lund McKay scale with scores ranging from 0 to 24, depending on the occupation of the paranasal sinuses and the osteomeatal complex. We excluded patients under 15 years old, patients having chronic rhinosinusitis without polyps, patients who had undergone repeated surgery due to relapse and patients with comorbidities, including mucoviscidosis, brain degenerative diseases and cilium diseases. Results: There was an improvement of the olfactory level after the Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery patients suffering from chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps. We concluded that the higher the tomographic Lund-McKay score, the better the olfaction after the surgery.

Introdução e objetivos: A polipose nasal está presente em 4% da população geral e entre 25%-30% das pessoas com rinossinusite crônica. A presença de pólipos nasais é um importante fator de risco para alterações no olfato. Objetivo: estabelecer se existe melhora do olfato em pacientes com polipose nasal após intervenção cirúrgica com endoscopia nasossinusal. Métodos: Considerou-se uma amostra de 20 pacientes com rinossinusite crônica polipóide tratados mediante cirurgia endoscópica nasossinusal pelo mesmo cirurgião, com acompanhamento 30 dias após a cirurgia, nos quais foi examinado o nível de olfato antes e depois da operação com o método do Connecticut Chemosensory Clinical Research Center. Avaliou-se antes da cirurgia o grau de polipose com um score tomográfico de Lund McKay. Resultados: Aumento da pontuação de olfato em pacientes com polipose nasal após a polipectomia com cirurgia endoscópica nasossinusal (p<0,0001) . Relação linear entre o score tomográfico pré-operatório e o grau de melhora do olfato (p<0,05). Conclusões: Existe uma melhora de olfato em pacientes com rinossinusite crônica polipoide após o tratamento desta patologia com cirurgia endoscópica nasossinusal. Observou-se também que quanto maior o grau de polipose pré-operatória, maior é a melhora do olfato pós-operatório.