Bone-conduction hearing aids in an elderly population: complications and quality of life assessment

To determine whether an elderly population with hearing impairment can be adequately rehabilitated with a bone-conduction hearing aid and whether the putative relationship between the elderly and an increased complication rate is justified. The study design was a retrospective case note review with a postal and telephone questionnaire, which was carried out in a tertiary centre. All patients aged 60 or over underwent implantation with a bone-conduction aid between 2009 and 2013 for conductive, SSD or mixed hearing loss. Outcome measures were complication rates and quality of life assessment using the Glasgow Benefit Inventory. The influence of patient and surgical factors on the complication rate was assessed. Fifty-one patients were implanted. Mean age was 67 years (range 60–89 years). The mean benefit, satisfaction and global GBI scores were 70 % (range 0–100 %), 70 % (0–100 %) and 82 % (83–100 %), respectively. The residual disability was 18 % (0–25 %). The adverse skin reaction rate was 16 % and the fixture loss rate was 2 %. There was a demonstrable increase in the complication rate with the dermatome (45 %; 5 patients) compared to the Sheffield ‘S’ (13 %; 2 patients) or linear incision techniques (29 %; 7 patients). The bone-conduction hearing aids are ideal method of hearing rehabilitation in the elderly for all forms of hearing loss. It provides significant benefit with no increased complication rate, which is imperative if social isolation is to be avoided and cognition preserved in this growing elderly population.