Implantación coclear en pacientes de edad avanzada: Resultados auditivos / Cochlear implantation in elderly patients: Hearing results

Introducción: El envejecimiento de la población, así como la ampliación en las indicaciones de implantación, hace que cada día haya más pacientes implantados mayores de 65 años, lo que supone un reto a nivel de ajuste y optimización auditiva. Se ha constatado que la implantación coclear en pacientes de edad avanzada generalmente conduce a una mejoría, tanto auditiva como en la neurocognición, la depresión, el aislamiento social, la actividad física y la calidad de vida. Objetivo: Los objetivos de este estudio son valorar las características de los pacientes implantados a partir de 65 años en un centro terciario, analizar los beneficios e identificar particularidades clínicas en este grupo de pacientes. Material y Método: Se llevó a cabo un estudio retrospectivo con un seguimiento de 5 años postcirugía de pacientes con implante MED-EL y se realizó una visita preoperatoria y un seguimiento con audiometría en campo libre y audiometría verbales postquirúrgica al año, 3 años y 5 años postquirúrgico. Resultados: Se incluyó a 16 pacientes implantados unilateralmente. La edad media inicio pérdida fue de 36,75 años. La edad media de cirugía fue de 71,44 años. Los resultados auditivos fueron satisfactorios, con una media de audiometría en campo libre de 44,33 dB al año, 43,33 dB a los 3 años y 41,66 dB a los 5 años. El resultado en las audiometrías verbales (test de bisílabos y test de frases) fue mejor en el grupo de pacientes con adaptación bimodal. Conclusión: En nuestra experiencia, la implantación coclear en ≥65 años sí que logra mejorar las capacidades auditivas medidas, tanto en audiometría de campo libre como en pruebas verbales. La adaptación bimodal mejora los resultados auditivos, a pesar de la dificultad de procesamiento de los dos estímulos diferentes.

Introduction: The aging of the population, as well as the expansion in the indications for implantation means that every day there are more implanted patients over 65 years of age, which represents a challenge in terms of hearing adjustment and optimization. Cochlear implantation in elderly patients has been found to generally lead to improvements in hearing and neurocognition, depression, social isolation, physical activity, and quality of life. Aim: The objectives of this study are to assess the characteristics of patients over 65 years of age implanted in a tertiary center, analyze the benefits and identify clinical particularities in this group of patients. Material and Method: A retrospective study was carried out with a 5-year post-surgery follow-up of patients with a MED-EL implant, and a preoperative visit and follow-up with free-field audiometry and post-surgical speech audiometry were performed at one year, 3 years and 5 years post-surgery. Results: Sixteen unilaterally implanted patients were included. The mean age at onset of loss was 36.75 years. The mean age at surgery was 71.44 years. Hearing results were satisfactory, with a mean free field audiometry of 44.33 dB at one year, 43.33 dB at 3 years, and 41.66 dB at 5 years. The result in the verbal audiometries (disyllable test and sentence test) was better in the group of patients with bimodal adaptation. Conclusión: In our experience, cochlear implantation in patients ≥ 65 years of age does manage to improve hearing capacities measured both in free-field audiometry and in verbal tests. Bimodal adaptation improves auditory results, despite the difficulty ofprocessing the two different stimuli.

Hearing Results after Tympanoplasty Type I with Cartilage-Perichondrium Composite Island Graft / 대한이비인후과학회지

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Many materials such as fascia, perichondrium and cartilage are used for reconstruction of the tympanic membrane in middle ear surgery. Because of its stiffness, cartilage is resistant to resorption and retraction. However, cartilage grafts result in increased acoustic impedance, so its use has caused controversies as to the acoustic transfer aspect. The aim of this study is to assess hearing results after cartilage tympanoplasty and after fascia tympanoplasty. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: This study included 74 patients who had received tympanoplasty type I between 2007 and 2009, of whom 44 received cartilage and 30 fascia. The middle ear risk index was used to statistically compare the preoperative state of the two groups. Preoperative and six months- postoperative air-bone gaps at the frequency 0.5, 1, 2 and 3 kHz were assessed. RESULTS: Both groups were statistically similar with respect to the severity of middle ear pathology and the preoperative hearing levels. Overall postoperative hearing results showed air-bone gaps (ABG) < or =20 dB in 73% for the fascia group and 71% for the cartilage group. The mean postoperative gains in ABG were 8.97 dB for the fascia group and 10.84 dB for the cartilage group. There were no statistically significant differences in the postoperative frequency specific gains in ABG between the two groups. CONCLUSION: These results demonstrate that hearing results after cartilage tympanoplasty are comparable to those after fascia tympanoplasty. Although cartilage is the ideal grafting material in problem cases, a more liberal application might be suggested in such cases as in tympanoplasty type I without fear of impairing hearing.