Review of the management of external auditory canal atresia using Osseo integrated implantable hearing devices: Report of a successful case with Bonebridge® implant

Abstract

The external auditory canal atresia has an incidence of 1 per 1000 or 2000 live births predominantly unilateral. Its management is controversial, especially with the decision of reconstructive surgery. Lately, have developed osseo integrated bone conduction devices, which have come to revolutionize the treatment and questioning the indication for surgery. The leadership for a long time its has had it the BAHA device type, but has several problems in long-term, mainly in relation to the screw used in the implant. In response to this problems, was designed a new osseo integrated implant named Bonebridge^®, showing benefits over its predecessor. As in our setting there is little experience with this device, we present a review about a successful clinical case. The case is a patient of 18 years with a maximal bilateral hearing loss caused by a congenital bilateral atresia of the external auditory canal, and inadequate audition gain with traditional bone headband. As much the bibliographical overhaul as the clinical case allows to assert that Bone- bridge^® corresponds to an alternative of treatment in the atresia of the external auditory canal and with certain benefits by on the other devices, as the surgery.