A semi-implantable bone conduction device (BCD), the Bonebridge¢â
system (Med-El, Innsbruck, Austria) is a treatment option for
patients with conductive or combined hearing loss as an alternative
to conventional surgery. In this active transcutaneous direct-drive
BCD, the transducer with diameter 15.8 mm and height 8.7 mm is
implanted under intact skin and hence the vibrations are transmitted
from the transducer directly to the skull bone. Therefore, the big
size of the Bonebridge¢â implant can be a challenge, especially in
patients with a radically mastoidectomized cavity. In those cases,
the site for implantation could be retrosigmoidal but a consequence
is that the dura is exposed and possibly pushed down to fit the
implant. MED-EL has recently released a Lifter system by which the
whole implant is moved outwards from the skull bone, thus lifting the
skin in that area in order for the implant to fit the mastoid cavity.
We report a successful Bonebridge¢â implantation over the sigmoid
sinus using the Lifter system in a patient with conductive hearing
loss due to the previous canal wall down mastoidectomy. |