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. 2025 Aug 6;7(1):e000303.
doi: 10.1136/bmjsit-2024-000303. eCollection 2025.

Bone conduction hearing implants (BCHIs); life-changing surgery. A quality of life (QoL) study reporting the impact of BCHI surgery on 163 patients' well-being

Rachael Collins  1   2 , Junaid Hanif  1 , John S Phillips  1 , Ian Nunney  3 , Amanda Collett  1
Affiliations

Bone conduction hearing implants (BCHIs); life-changing surgery. A quality of life (QoL) study reporting the impact of BCHI surgery on 163 patients' well-being

Rachael Collins et al. BMJ Surg Interv Health Technol. .

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to review the impact of bone conduction hearing implants (BCHIs) surgery on patients' quality of life (QoL) across general, physical, social and overall well-being domains.

Design: A prospective correlational study.

Setting: Single tertiary referral center in the UK.

Participants: All adult patients undergoing their first BCHI over a 10-year and 6-month period (between June 1, 2012, and December 31, 2022). A total of 163 were included out of 195 potentially eligible participants.

Main outcome measure: The Glasgow Health Status Inventory (GHSI) was used to assess patients' QoL pre and post BCHI surgery.

Results: BCHI surgery showed significant improvements across all GHSI QoL domains; total (p<0.0001), general (p<0.0001), social (p<0.0001) and physical (p<0.0001).

Conclusion: The largest of its kind, this study recognizes the wide-reaching impact of BCHIs on patients' QoL, evidencing them as a highly effective and life-improving surgical intervention.

Keywords: Health Care Quality, Access, and Evaluation.

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Conflict of interest statement

None declared.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Indication for BCHI insertion. BCHI, bone conduction hearing implant; BTE, behind the ear.
Figure 2
Figure 2. GHSI scores pre- and post-BCHI insertion. BCHI, bone conduction hearing implant; GHSI, Glasgow Health Status Inventory.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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