Single‐Stage Surgery for Placement of Pediatric Bone‐Anchored Hearing Aids

Abstract

Objectives: 1) Determine the incidence of skin overgrowth and failure of osseointegration in pediatric patients undergoing single-staged placement of a bone anchored hearing aid. 2) Compare these results to patients undergoing staged surgery. Methods: Pediatric patients who underwent placement of a bone anchored hearing aid in an academic pediatric medical center from July 1, 2006, to December 2012 were identified in a retrospective manner using CPT code 69714. Cause of hearing loss, surgical technique, staging of surgery, and postoperative findings including skin overgrowth and failure of osseointegration were recorded. Results: Sixty-six patients underwent placement of a bone anchored hearing aid, with 11 patients undergoing bilateral surgery. Sixty-four sides were performed in 1 stage and 13 sides in 2 stages. The overall osseointegration failure rate was 4.5%, all in patients who underwent single-staged surgery. Two of these patients had Treacher-Collins syndrome, and the other patient had craniofacial abnormalities. Five patients (7.5%) required revision surgery for skin overgrowth, with 4 having single-stage surgery and the other having staged surgery. Conclusions: Single-staged surgery placement of a bone anchored hearing aid is an acceptable alternative to staged surgery with low rates of osseointegration failure or skin overgrowth.