Influence of Behavior on Complications of Osseointegrated Bone Conduction Devices in Children

OBJECTIVE:Compare incidences of complications following implantation of osseointegrated bone conduction devices (OBCD) between children with and without behavioral disorders. STUDY DESIGN:Case series with chart review. SETTING:Tertiary referral center otology and neurotology practice. PATIENTS:Pediatric patients who underwent implantation of OBCD between May 2009 and July 2014 at Arkansas Childrenʼs Hospital. INTERVENTIONS:Implantation with Cochlear BAHA 200 series, Cochlear BAHA BI300, or Oticon OBCD. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:Osseointegration failure (OIF) with resulting loss of flange-fixture and/or skin and soft tissue reactions. RESULTS:The total rate of complications was 66.2%, with the majority being minor complications (39.4%). There was no difference in the total rate of complication (p = 0.461), minor complications (p = 0.443), major complications (p = 0.777), and minor and major complications (p = 0.762) between the control group and children with behavioral disorders. CONCLUSION:Behavior was not observed to influence the incidence of OIF or skin/soft tissue reactions after implantation of OBCD in pediatric patients.