Part of the International Hearing Day reminder
Prague, March 3, 2022 - At the beginning of February, doctors at the University Hospital in Motol were the first in the Czech Republic to use a new generation of implant based on the principle of bone conduction using the piezoelectric effect. It is a unique technology that is used in patients with conductive or combined hearing loss.
The new OSIA implant, which was operated on at the beginning of February in a XNUMX-year-old patient, is based on the principle of bone conduction. It preserves the function of the inner ear and replaces the missing or limited function of the transmission apparatus of the outer or middle ear.
"This is a completely unique technology based on the principle of piezoelectric excitation of mechanical energy, which is transferred to the fluids of the inner ear and is perceived by the patient as a sound perception. The patient's benefit is in particular the increased perception of high frequencies, which are important for understanding human speech. Compared to older generation implants, the new implant gives the patient an advantage of up to 17 dB, which is a fundamental difference. " explains doc. MUDr. Jan Bouček, Ph.D. from the Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, 1st Medical Faculty, Charles University and University Hospital Motol.
The operation takes place under general anesthesia and lasts approximately one hour. An implant that is firmly anchored to the bone is inserted into the area behind the ear, which has a transient or combined hearing impairment, from a retroauricular approach. The implantable part remains with the patient for the rest of his life, the outer part - the sound processor can be removed, charged and put back on when the patient needs or wants to hear. The next day after the operation, the patient goes home. After one week, the sutures are removed and the implant area is allowed to heal for about another three weeks to ensure that the tissues are scarred at the site where the implant is placed. A total of four weeks after the operation, the patient comes to adjust the external sound processor according to his own auditory parameters and begins to rehabilitate. Rehabilitation with a bone-based implant is significantly faster than with a cochlear implant, because the patient still perceives sound in similar characteristics as a healthy person.
"Bone-guided implants have been used for twenty years, but technology is constantly being improved, the functions of the implant are being reduced and improved. However, technology based on the principle of digital piezoelectric stimulation is now used. It is a fundamental innovation in the field of bone-based implants, " adds associate professor Bouček.
Video: The first implant based on the principle of bone conduction at the Motol University Hospital
Press Release:
TZ - REGN-COV2 (336,65 KB)
Media Contact:
doc. MD Jan Bouček, Ph.D., e-mail: jan.boucek@fnmotol.cz
Pavlína Danková, phone: 724 227 503, e-mail: pavlina.dankova@fnmotol.cz