Single Vertical Incision Technique without Skin Thinning for the Bone Anchored Hearing Aid Surgery

Shin, Joong Wook; Park, Hong Joon; Lee, Seung Chul; Park, Han Q; Lee, Ho Ki

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES
After the bone anchored hearing aid (BAHA) surgery, soft tissue problems have frequently been reported. To solve this problem, a surgical procedure that routinely involves so-called skin thinning using BAHA dermatome has been utilized. But, this procedure includes many peri-implant complications and cosmetic trouble. Recently, a single vertical incision technique that does not involve skin thinning has been reported with favorable results. In this study, we evaluated the benefits of performing this procedure without skin thinning compared with the dermatome technique.
SUBJECTS AND METHOD
We evaluated 10 patients who were operated on without skin thinning using longer (8.5 mm) abutments (the test group) and 5 patients with the routine skin thinning and 5.5-mm abutments (the control group). A mean follow-up time was 11.3 months, the mean age was 34.2 years in the test group, the mean follow-up time was 54.5 months and a mean age is 24.5 years in the control group.
RESULTS
The mean time required for surgery was 25 minutes and 55 minutes for the test and control groups, respectively. The wound healing time was 28 days and 56 days for the test and control groups, respectively. Fixture extrusion, skin infection and skin overgrowth were not observed in the test group but fixture extrusion case, two skin infection cases and two skin overgrowth cases were observed in the control group. Two cases of abutment loosening were observed in the test group.
CONCLUSION
The single vertical incision technique without skin thinning has many benefits when compared with the BAHA dermatome. With this technique, infection and skin overgrowth could be reduced, and a more rapid procedure and a more short healing time could also be possible. Moreover, the aesthetic outcome was far better when no skin thinning was involved.