Hearing aid tolerance after revision and obliteration of canal wall down mastoidectomy cavities

Abstract

Objective: To review the tolerance of hearing aid use after revision and obliteration of a previously unstable canal wall down mastoidectomy cavity.

Study design: Retrospective case series.

Setting: Academic tertiary referral center.

Patients: Adults and children who underwent the described surgical procedure followed by attempted hearing aid use.

Intervention(s): Surgical revision and obliteration of a chronically unstable canal wall down mastoidectomy cavity and subsequent attempted use of a conventional, ear-level hearing aid.

Main outcome measure(s): Stability of mastoid cavity after starting conventional hearing aid usage.

Results: From a review of 87 consecutive mastoid obliteration procedures performed on previously unstable open cavities, 20 ears in 19 subjects were identified for study inclusion. The indication for hearing aid use was mixed hearing loss in the majority of subjects (85%). Among included ears, 7 (35%) had at least one documented temporary period of hearing aid nonuse because of otorrhea; however, permanent discontinuation of hearing aid use in favor of bone-anchored hearing implant placement only occurred in 3 ears (15%). The mean follow-up from the start of hearing aid use was 49 months.

Conclusion: Although failures do exist, attempted use of a hearing aid after revision of an unstable canal wall down mastoidectomy cavity seems feasible and generally well tolerated. However, the exact likelihood of achieving this result is yet uncertain, and hearing performance was not assessed in this study.