Vibroplasty for mixed and conductive hearing loss.

OBJECTIVE

To summarize new application methods of an active middle ear implant (Vibrant Soundbridge) in patients with conductive or mixed hearing loss.

DATA SOURCES: Publications listed in the Medline/PubMed database.

STUDY SELECTION: All publications published in English language; search term Vibrant Soundbridge AND floating mass transducer in all fields.

DATA EXTRACTION: Structured analysis of all publications.

DATA SYNTHESIS: Extraction of significant findings and conclusions and audiometric data.

CONCLUSION

Modern application methods of an active middle ear implant (VSB) open new therapeutic options for patients with various outer and middle ear diseases resulting in conductive or mixed hearing loss. Titanium couplers can help to couple the active middle ear implant in a standardized way to remnants of the ossicular chain or to the round window. Thus, the active middle ear implant has been established as an alternative treatment option for patients with mixed and conductive hearing. However, the heterogeneity of the studies published so far complicates the analysis of the audiometric results, and thus, the functional hearing gain after VSB implantation varies a lot.